


Late to the Party (Barrison Week Fills)

by FilmInMySoul



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angry Barry Allen, Angst, Angsty Harrison Wells, Anniversaries, Barrison Week, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fanboy Barry Allen, Grief/Mourning, Lightning Bolts, M/M, Moral Dilemmas, Not Evil Eobard Thawne, Protective Joe West, Redeemed Eobard Thawne, Romantic Eobard Thawne, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Stuttering, Stuttering Barry Allen, Vampire Harrison Wells - Freeform, Vampires, Weddings, Worried Barry Allen, Writer Harrison Wells, grief counseling, meddling Cisco, prompt fills, prompts, soulmate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2016-06-15
Packaged: 2018-04-27 07:57:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5040319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FilmInMySoul/pseuds/FilmInMySoul
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I join in the Barrison Week party a little late so I've been doing the prompts over the last month to make up for it. These are seven prompts all pretty different and of varying lengths.</p>
<p>Prompt 1 - Missing Scene from Canon<br/>Prompt 2 - Domesticity<br/>Prompt 3 - Canon Divergence<br/>Prompt 4 - Alternate Universe<br/>Prompt 5 - Fake/Secret Dating<br/>Prompt 6 - Soulmates<br/>Prompt 7 - Free-day</p>
<p>(UPDATE 6/14/16: Read Authors Note aka Chapter 7)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prompt 1 - Missing Scene from Canon

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to andthatiswhythelightningstruck (check out her tumblr and AO3 account to read her fics!!) for being my beta, she is a gift send from the fanfiction heavens.
> 
> Here we go for prompt 1 - missing scene from canon
> 
> After Barry is poisoned by The Mist, Eobard Thawne takes a minute by himself to reflect on his feelings for one Barry Allen. (Set during Episode 1x03)

"I need to take a moment." The man known as Harrison Wells said, wheeling away from the medical bed Barry Allen was lying on.

Caitlin and Cisco nodded like they understood. Eobard (the true name of the man who now wore Harrison Wells' face) almost scoffed at the implication. They didn't understand a thing. Sure, the two _cared_ for Barry Allen, but for Eobard, this was different. 

They saw him as Harrison Wells – mentor, friend, _family_ , not for who and what he truly was. Eobard Thawne, who went back in time to destroy the Flash, the man who went back and ended up falling in _love_ with him. The man who saved them, _helped_ them, not as the man who had killed so many and manipulated them for a single purpose. No, they understood nothing.

In these moments of sentiment, Eobard wished he had the nerve to phase his hand through his chest. He would grip his heart and _crush_ it, as though that would solve the problems he was facing. He wanted to stop the way his chest started to ache whenever another lie slipped past his lips. He wanted to stop the way his pride soared whenever Barry pushed past the obstacles in his way.  

It was insanity! Eobard should be filled with rage and indignation – yet, as the months passed, as he watched his young ward in his coma…and repeated almost day after day that it would be so easy to end it, and how he was not forgiven in any way, the words seemed to grow more and more hollow each time they trickled from his mouth.

 _And then the moment that Barry opened his eyes_. Eobard had never been so angry at the world. This was meant to be his sworn enemy, the thing that gave him the drive to destroy, and yet...Barry Allen, in the first few minutes of wakeful thought, after a half a year, had said something so innocent it had almost made Eobard sick.

_"Can I keep the sweatshirt?"_

This was not the man that he had grown to hate, that he had crossed the barriers of time to destroy, this was not the man who he wanted to kill with every fiber of his being. This was a creature of pure hope, endless determination. Eobard, as much as he loathed it, was starting to realize that the man he knew in the future was not this man. And that, by his own hand, that man would never exist.

Now he was left with the longing to return home, to a time that would be different, that might not even exist. As long as he could escape these treacherous feelings, as long as he could escape the knowledge of who Barry Allen was...

_It would be a much simpler place._

The man slammed a hand down against the arm of his wheelchair and cursed aloud. He thought back to the moment that Barry had been struggling for breath beside him, reaching out for him – Eobard could still feel his heart jackhammering against his chest out of sudden panic. It wasn't panic of the idea of never being able to return home; rather, it was of losing the beacon of light that was Barry Allen. It made Eobard angry at himself.

Somewhere in a less angry part of him, Eobard supposed he always knew that this was inevitable. To obsess over someone that filled you with so much hatred, then to get to know him, the _real_ him, the person _behind_ the mask…

It _changes_ you. More importantly, it had changed Eobard. The speedster had always known that just on the other side of hate was love. (It was said so many times.)

The brunet pulled the glasses from his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. The twisting feeling in his stomach started to unwind and he composed himself, taking deep breaths in and out. Slipping his glasses back onto his face, Eobard turned back towards the room where Barry was lying, still unconscious on the medical bed. Caitlin saw him approach and presented him with the syringe.

"His vitals are stabilizing and we've got enough of the poison from Barry's lungs to run a thorough analysis on it, Dr. Wells."

Eobard nodded, eyes flicking over to the man on the table. The Flash would live to fight another day and Eobard Thawne would tell lie after lie until they run out – unless Barry found out about him and his plan. Only time would tell – and that was what Eobard was scared of the most.


	2. Prompt 2 - Domesticity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you to andthatiswhythelightningstruck (check out her stuff!) for being my beta! You're wonderous!
> 
> Prompt 2 - Domesticity
> 
> It’s Barry and Eobard’s one year anniversary and Barry is worried that the other speedster has forgotten or just doesn’t care about the anniversary.

A year ago, Barry would have never been able to imagine being in love with the man who had killed his mother. But somehow, after everything that they had been through, all the ups, downs, twists and turns, Barry couldn't want it any other way. Eobard had earned his redemption and in the process, had somehow earned Barry's heart as well.

Sometimes, Barry wasn't sure that a year from then had been a possibility. But a year with Eobard Thawne had somehow ended up being the best year of his life. It was a continuous surprise, and thankfully a happy one.

These thoughts often came to him as he worked on whatever job Joe needed him to do. God, getting Joe on board with him dating his ex-archnemesis had been a nightmare and a half. They weren't on bad terms per say, but Barry could cut the tension between the two with a knife. Sometimes, the scarlet speedster thought they only put up with each other because they had the mutual understanding that protecting Barry was the most important thing they could do. ( _No_ , Barry was sure that it was the _only_ reason they put up with each other.)

Thankfully, Iris and Eddie had been easier to convince; Cisco had taken time and Caitlin, well, she had been the easiest to get the idea. She had looked at it from a logical angle and after having slapped Eobard (for good measure), they were right as rain. All in all, Barry thought that explaining what Eobard and he had together had been easy. The only person who wasn't actually talking to him was his father. Barry wouldn't begrudge him that.

Barry sighed as this thought came to him, but rather than dwelling on an opinion he couldn't change, he checked his phone for what must have been the fifth time in the last hour.

Eobard had texted him a good morning and that had been all. This wouldn't have usually caused Barry so much anxiety on a normal day – only this day was _not_ a normal day. It had been exactly one year since Eobard had made his feelings for Barry clear, and Barry had begrudgingly (at the time) realized that he, too, had great affection for the other man.

_Their one-year anniversary and Eobard hadn't mentioned it at all_. Barry didn't want to give into that twisting feeling in his stomach – that maybe, Eobard hadn't remembered it or that the last year hadn't meant enough to really celebrate it. Barry knew logically that perhaps in the time that Eobard came from, they didn't celebrate anniversaries like they did now. On the other hand, the other speedster had been living in this time for nearly seventeen years. Just thinking about it made Barry feel ill. 

He, of course, had procured an item for Eobard that he hoped the other man would love as Barry had loved it when he picked the item out. However, with the fact that the other man hadn't even mentioned anything about the day caused Barry to pause. Perhaps it was best that he didn't give Eobard the gift and wait for a more appropriate time, like Christmas or Valentine’s Day.

It wasn't as though Barry thought his partner wasn't as romantic as he was. In many ways, the other man had proven to be even more of a sap than Barry. (But usually, Eobard liked to distance himself from sentiment. Barry understood though; he _always_ understood.)

Barry groaned as he placed his phone back on the table – away from his reach. He needed to be focusing on work – and the thoughts of whether or not Eobard had remembered something as trivial as an anniversary were distracting him.

There was a knock on the side of his lab door.

"Hey Barr, how's the sample results coming?"

Joe was dressed in his usual attire (formal jacket, tucked in shirt, nice tie, and ironed trousers). One look at Barry's slumped shoulders and tensed body had the older man screwing up his face in concern.

"What's wrong, kiddo?"

Once the question was out, Barry was burying his face in his arms, cheek pressed against the cool metal of his work desk and another groan escaping his lips.

"…Is it the test results?”

Barry shook his head. _No_.

"Criminal got away?"

Another shake of the head.

Joe paused before letting out a soft sigh.

"Is it Eobard?"

Barry nodded. (Or at least, he nodded the best he could with his head still buried under his arms.)

There was another pause from Joe before he was shuffling into the room and sitting on the stool next to Barry's workspace.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Barry lifted his head abruptly from his arms. Joe never, ever, ever, wanted to talk to Barry about Eobard Thawne aside from the usual " _is he treating you right?_ " and " _do I need to threaten him with my gun again?_ "

Barry honestly had meant to say no, but he was never very good at keeping things from Joe. (Not even as a child; _especially_ not as a child.)

"It just – it's been a year, right? I didn't make up some date and stick a _'one year anniversary'_ sticker on a calendar, right?” Barry blurted out. “And I guess that I'm making a big deal of things, especially since Eobard doesn't even seem to _care_ and I can't _mention_ it to him because that'll just be sad because if he _really_ doesn't care, then he's going to do this thing where he thinks I'm being childish and it's just stressing me out and I _know_ that I'm overreacting, but I can't help it. I just... I don't know what to do."

Joe didn't say anything the whole while that Barry rambled on. Once the younger man was finished, his shoulders slumped again and his hands clutched together, nails digging into his palms. Joe placed a hand on the brunet’s clenched fists.

"Barry... I don't think this is about the anniversary..."

Barry paused, his whole body taking a moment to freeze.

"What do you mean?" Barry's voice was soft as he turned back towards Joe.

Joe gave his adopted son a slight smile.

"I think that maybe, just maybe, you're worried that if he doesn't remember it's your guys’ anniversary, then he's saying that the last year hasn't meant as much as it has to you." Barry opened his mouth to speak, but Joe held his free hand up. "Now, I am _not_ the biggest fan of Eobard Thawne, and you know that as well as I do,” he said pointedly. “That being said, he makes you happy, and I know for a fact that he loves you just as much as you love him. He's from a different time Barry, and though that’s not the best excuse, things can sometimes be different for different people. Anniversaries might be one of them."

Barry let Joe’s words sink in for a few seconds. There was a pause, and then he gave a small nod.

"Why does it always make so much sense when you say it?" Barry asked, a smile pulling onto his face. The speedster felt calmer now, and the nails that have been digging their way into his hands were starting to pull away. 

Joe only gave a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders. "I think it's a dad thing,” he said. “However, as a detective thing, do you have those results for me?" 

Barry felt heat rise to his face for a moment. He coughed lightly before rising from his chair and heading over to the machine where Joe's evidence had finished processing. The printer next to it had been flashing for a good thirty minutes (at least) before Joe had stepped into the room.

"Sorry Joe, I could have gotten it to you sooner," Barry murmured, holding up the papers. Joe made a dismissive wave of his hand as he took the printed pages from Barry's hands.

"It's alright Barr, you've got a lot on your mind." Joe headed over to the door, but before he could leave, he paused under the frame. He turned back to Barry. "And who knows what Eobard might be thinking – the day isn't over yet."

Barry smiled as Joe turned out of the lab. Just like that, one conversation with the other man and Barry was in a much better mood. Joe was right – so what if things were different for Eobard in his time? He wouldn't begrudge the younger man an anniversary; Barry was nearly positive of that.

With that in mind, Barry went back to his phone. He keyed in his passcode with practiced ease and opened up his messages. He chuckled at the photo he sent Eobard the day before and the reaction that the older man had given him. It made him smile as he started to type.

_'Did you want to get lunch today? I could use some Big Belly Burger ;)'_

Barry set his phone down for a moment and zipped across the room to file away some old results. He was used to waiting for Eobard taking up to an hour to respond. Barry heard the ding in just under five minutes.

_'Can't. Cisco is needing help with one of his weapons for the CCPD and Catlin would like to run some tests that she'd like me to oversee._ '

Barry felt himself deflate a little at the response. Even if Eobard had forgotten the anniversary, Barry still wanted to spend even a little time with him. His phone chimed again – and the smile was back on his face.

_'But if you're not opposed to having dinner with me, I'll pick you up around 7?_ '

Barry couldn't text back _yes_ soon enough.

By the time that seven was rolling around, Barry had worked through three cases of work evidence and twenty or so games of solitaire. His phone lay silent on his office table awaiting a text or call.

While he waited, the scarlet speedster felt around for the box in his pocket. The little trinket that now seemed rather silly glinted when the light of his lamp hit it. The only warning that Barry had to close the box was that tell-tale sound of whooshing air. He got the box back into his pocket just in time as arms wrapped around his waist. The familiar weight of Eobard’s chin was placed against his shoulder – the warm body against his back caused Barry to let out a content hum, eyes closing for a moment as Eobard placed a kiss against the side of the younger man's neck.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in a week," Barry murmured as he felt a small chuckle against the side of his neck.

"I'm sorry I haven't been as attentive as I could have – getting S.T.A.R. Labs back and running has been a challenge in of itself," came Eobard’s apologetic response. Barry nodded, a small smile playing out against his lips. He had known that. While his own job at the CCPD was always busy, Eobard had taken on a heavier role to play in the rebuilding of S.T.A.R. Labs. Barry had personally been pleased with the idea of Eobard being the one to run it, though the fact that they couldn’t see each other as often as he liked was always bothersome. 

Barry turned around, letting his gaze settle on Eobard. "I remember there being mention of dinner? I'm assuming you actually drove here rather than ran?" he asked cheekily. Eobard chuckled lightly and released Barry from his grip.

"I do remember promising something like that," he replied. "And _yes_ , I _did_ drive."

Barry smiled as he followed the other man out of his lab and into the precinct. No one even turned their heads anymore, though the first few times, Barry was sure that Eobard and he were causing quite the scandal. (At least, that was how everyone made it out to be.)

Now the speedster could take his partner’s hand and no one would even glance a second time. It was refreshing being in a room where no one knew who his boyfriend actually was. (Aside from the select few being Eddie, Joe, and sometimes Iris, if she decided to drop by and see her husband.)

"So what’s on the menu for tonight?" Barry asked.

Eobard shook his head, amused. "That, Mr. Allen, will just have to remain a surprise." 

Barry pretended for a moment to be put out, earning him another chuckle and a quick kiss. (Too quick, in Barry's opinion. He really _had_ felt like it had been a while since he'd gotten a chance to see his partner.)

They ambled to the car in companionable silence, hands together, fingers interlocked. While the two passed the doors of the CCPD, Barry spotted Joe and locked eyes for the briefest of moments. Joe, though looking slightly displeased (as was always the case when Barry was with Eobard), smiled and nodded his head. At this, Barry felt a small flicker of hope. He was sure that things with Joe and Eobard would level out eventually. He didn't think that they would ever be "best friends", but Barry was optimistic that they could at least have a more civil relationship.

Five minutes into the drive, Barry's resolve about not asking any more questions cracked.

"Can you at least tell me if it's a restaurant?" Eobard smirked, the corner of his mouth twitching up in amusement over the hold he knew he had on Barry's curiosity. For a moment, the younger man thought that his partner wasn't going to say anything.

"I can tell you that we’ll be eating in tonight." Barry smiled. A small amount of pride for himself swelled. Eobard was known for holding surprises and such over Barry's head, and to even get the small amount of information was pleasing.

As they drove, radio playing something mellow in the background, Barry took in his surroundings. He knew for a fact that they weren't headed to his and Joe's place, and it didn't look like they were headed to Eobard's, either.

"Are we going to Caitlin and Ronnie's?" The man beside him said nothing as he made another turn down another residential street. The houses got larger and further apart as they drove, not stylistic mansions like how Eobard's home was – these were more like four bedroom cottages with large yards and driveway space.

Eventually, they stopped at one and Eobard pulled into the long drive. The porch was long and had a two person swing, with little lanterns glowing softly as they hung from maple arches, illuminating the flower beds in the front yard. Eobard cut the engine and stepped from the car. Barry, confused, followed suit.

The older man took Barry's hand and pulled him along the rest of the drive until they reached the stairs that lead to the porch.

"Eo, whose house is this?"

Eobard paused, took a breath, and turned to face Barry taking up his other hand so that he was holding both of them. 

"I was hoping it might be ours." 

In hindsight, Barry should have seen this coming, but nevertheless, he was struck almost speechless. Eobard took this as an ill sign and started to speak. "I know it might be sudden – I've spent weeks having the debate with myself, but I figured since you practically live with me already and that it wouldn't be too presumptuous – it’s our one year anniversary, and I wasn't sure what to do, I just –" Barry stopped Eobard by placing a hand against his mouth.

"It's perfect,” he said, feeling tears well in his eyes. Out of all the anniversary scenarios he'd thought of, from Eobard not remembering at all to just a nice dinner, Barry hadn't even thought _this_ to be a possibility.

Eobard smiled against Barry's hand. Barry slowly pulled his hand away from Eobard’s mouth, and quicker than time itself, Eobard wrapped both arms around the younger man's waist and pulled him in for a kiss. 

It was longer than the one they had shared in the precinct, and it had Barry's knees going soft. It was something gentle and yet, held the promise of power.

Barry pulled away with a jerk of his head.

"Oh! I almost forgot, sorry." Barry apologized sheepishly as he reached into his jacket pocket and produced the box he had been fiddling with earlier. He handed it to the other man. "It's not much but, I thought it worked." Eobard's silence worried Barry for only a moment until he was picking the small gold colored lightning bolt from the box and slipping the chain over his head.

"It's wonderful, Barry,” Eobard breathed. 

Barry smiled. "It's made of fulgurite, and I know it's not a house, but I'm happy you like it."

Eobard chuckled softly and took Barry's hand back in his, leading him up the steps of the house. And reaching into his pocket, Eobard produced the second key.

"Here's to another happy year, yes?"

Barry smiled, leaning in to place another kiss to his partner’s lips.

 


	3. Prompt 3 - Canon Divergence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to the wonderful andthatiswhythelightningstruck for being the best beta in the world!
> 
> Prompt 3 - Canon Divergence
> 
> Eobard Thawne is tired of the lies, each one is another thorn in his side and he can tell that Barry is believing him less and less as time goes by. With the tension and Eobard’s feelings still growing for The Flash, he finally decided to reveal the truth about himself. [Set directly after The Man in the Yellow Suit.]

Eobard Thawne held the Tachyon device in his hands. At last, he had the final piece he needed to power his chair – to regain even more of his strength, his speed – at _last_ , he had the power to get home.

 So _why_ then, did he feel so completely powerless? 

What had once been all consuming rage and fire every time he put on the yellow suit was now sputtering to nothing. Eobard of course, knew that it had to do with Barry (it seemed like everything had to do with Barry).And he cursed the young speedster almost as much as he cursed his own traitorous heart.

The man who wore Harrison Wells' face – who had his memories, who had his _feelings_ – held himself back from smashing the Tachyon device on the floor in utter anguish. For _fifteen_ years, he'd let his hatred fester and grow and now, within just a few months, Barry Allen had drained that anger dry and replaced it was a warm feeling that Eobard refused to give a name to. He sighed in defeat as he looked once more at the yellow suit.

"Gideon,” he called to the computer.

"Yes, Dr. Wells?" it responded in its usual voice, clipped and artificially female.

"Send a message to Caitlin, Cisco, and Barry please."

"Of course, Dr. Wells. What would you like it to say?"

Eobard took a breath, setting his resolve. The guilt was growing too great. Every time he looked at Barry's smiling face, another piece of who he once was chipped away and left him raw. Eobard Thawne was done fighting. He was simply too beat down by the overwhelming feeling of love to put up any more of a fight.

"Please inform them to meet me in the main lab at 10 a.m. Express that it is an emergency."

"Of course, Dr. Wells."

Eobard nodded.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

At 9:30, Eobard Thawne stepped from his chair for the last time. He gave it a small pat as though he was saying goodbye to an old friend. 

At 9:45, Gideon informed him that the three people whom he'd grown to care for were waiting for him. Eobard took a shuddering breath as he placed his ring suit on to his hand and grabbed the Tachyon device with the other. There was no time for going back. He had made his choice.

Eobard walked down the halls of S.T.A.R. Labs, something he had only done in the latest hours of the night when he knew that no one else would be able to see. The hollow sound of his footsteps were like those of a man condemned. Eobard would laugh at his own poetic tone. He didn't know that he had condemned himself.

The older speedster paused outside of the room, gathering what little courage he felt before stepping into the lab. He could feel the eyes of Caitlin, Cisco, and Barry on him like lasers. He met their gazes and noted without surprise that they were dumbfounded and speechless. Eobard placed the Tachyon device on the ground and took a small step back. Cisco was the first to try and speak.

"What... how?" Eobard looked down in shame. He couldn't even try to look in Barry's direction, he knew that it would kill him to do so.

"My name is not Harrison Wells. I killed that man on the night of the car accident with his wife, Tess Morgan – and I took his identity. My name is Eobard Thawne and I," he paused, "I am the man in yellow. I am the Reverse Flash."

There was utter silence. Eobard had expected something like that.

"It's not _true_."

Eobard turned to Barry now, not being able to ignore the way his voice cracked and shuddered over the words. Honest disbelief clouding his voice. Eobard felt it like a stab in the stomach. Cisco and Caitlin remained silent as Eobard touched the insignia on his ring and let his suit fall to the ground.

"It is, I'm afraid."

He didn't even try to avoid the hit to his jaw that sent his head snapping back. It couldn't hurt more than the ache in his chest. There was another hit to his stomach and Eobard fell to his knees, the punches just kept coming until Cisco and Caitlin were dragging the scarlet speedster away.

" _Why?!_ " He had never heard so much sadness in the younger man's voice.

Eobard said nothing, head hung in shame as he sat there and took in the silence. It hurt more than he had anticipated it to. Somewhere along in the last few months, these people had become alive to him. He usually kept the notion that they had been dead for years as a good enough reason to not care – but somewhere, somehow, they had become alive – and it hurt.

"Barry," Cisco started, "we should get him in the pipeline – it should hold him." Eobard knew that it would. The older man stood on his feet unflinchingly. He felt a slight wetness on his lips – and found that it was the blood coming from a split he had not known Barry had made. 

Cisco didn't touch him – he didn't need to, for Eobard was already walking in the direction of the metahuman prison. Cisco followed him anyways – Caitlin stood behind, holding Barry back. 

They said nothing as they walked. They said nothing as Cisco opened a cell with Eobard walking into it. Only when the lid was closed did Cisco even look at him.

As he turned to walk away, Cisco paused.

"Were you ever really our friend?"

Eobard let out a shaky breath.

"Yes."

Cisco turned, eyes lit with a fire Eobard had never truly seen before.

"Then why? Why betray us like you did? Why – after everything – turn yourself in?"

Eobard laughed, only it came to a short stop. He winced and held his ribs, which he was sure were bruised. (Barry had hit with much more strength than Eobard had first thought. Which was fitting.) 

"That is an answer I'm not quite sure I have yet. Just know, _please_ , that I do care for you all,” Eobard managed to say. “If I didn't, I suppose I would still be holding up the guise of Harrison Wells, betraying you further."

Cisco said nothing as he scoffed and left the cell, the door closing on his way out.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

The only one who came to see him was Caitlin. She gave him his meals but almost never spoke. At night, Eobard dreamed. Most of the time, they were nightmares – more specifically, nightmares about Barry. He’d be standing over Eobard, angry or crying or yelling. And sometimes, it was Barry on the other end of the kitchen knife as Eobard plunged it into his chest – sometimes, it was the reverse. (Eobard didn't know which was worse.)

Only after four days of little to no sleep did Barry come to see him. 

Eobard could barely muster to courage to look as the younger man approached the glass enclosure.

"Hello, Mr. Allen." Eobard addressed him calmly, knees pulled to his chest and arms folded against them.

They waited in silence.

" _Why_?" The question was said in a seething hiss. Eobard felt the sting.

"Why what, Mr. Allen? Why did I lie to you all? Why did I make you? Why did I kill your mother?" _Why did I have to fall in love with you?_

"All of it." 

Eobard took a moment to think. He had been doing little else in his small cage.

"I lied to protect myself – to use you in order to obtain a future I've realized can ot and will not exist, I created you, the Flash, in order to achieve a way of returning home – something I cannot do now and as to why I killed your mother…" Eobard paused. There would be no going back, never from this. "I killed Nora Allen because I was angry at you – furious and _consumed_ by rage for a version of you that no longer exists. I discovered who you really were and surmised that the only way to get rid of you was to kill you as a child before you got your speed. Your future self followed me back through the time stream and stopped me by getting you away from the house. In another attempt to hurt you and prevent the Flash from ever being created, I killed your mother using the excuse that to me, she had been dead for so many years – it would mean nothing. I _burned_ with loathing for you, except that it wasn't you.” 

“It was never _you_. It was _him_ , the you that will never be. Ironic I suppose, in a twisted and horrid way." Eobard felt a small weight being lifted off his chest, but he could still not look at Barry.

"And was making us like you, Cisco, Caitlin, and I – was that part of your plan to hurt me too? Was making me – " Barry cut himself abruptly. He closed his eyes briefly. "I will _never_ forgive you for what you've done. Never." Barry stormed from the room and Eobard choked back a whimpering noise.

" _I know_." That would never stop him from trying.


	4. Prompt 5 - Fake/Secret Dating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once more has the muse that is andthatiswhythelightningstruck has graced me with this Beta! Prompts 4 and 7 are taking longer so I'll be posting out of order unforctunetly. 
> 
> Prompt 5 - Fake/Secret Dating
> 
> Barry Can’t show up to Iris and Eddie’s wedding alone, Joe and his best friend were already worrying about him too much. He mentions this to one Cisco Ramon and the engineer for S.T.A.R. Labs might just have a date in mind for the younger man. Too bad it had to be Barry Allen’s crush and Cisco’s boss, Harrison Wells.

" _No_ , Cisco." Barry wore a disdained look on his face as Cisco gave him his so-called "good news."

" _Yes_ , Barry! You said you needed a date for Iris' wedding or else it would ruin the whole day for your sister – so I got you a date." Cisco was smiling, (almost a smirk, to be honest) as he watched his best friend squirm.

"Yeah, but you set me up to be in a pretend relationship with Harrison Wells – _the_ Harrison Wells, who’s not only your boss, but the man I've idolized since I was seventeen." He was also the man that made Barry realize he didn't just swing in one direction as well, but that was something that Cisco didn't need to know.

"Look, I simply explained your plight; how if you showed up to Iris's wedding alone, all the attention would come off the bride and everyone else in the West family would end up being worried about you. He just offered his help and really, you can't tell me that you aren't looking forward to having Harrison Wells as glorified arm candy." Cisco waggled his eyebrows for added effect.

"Actually, I can because it's a lie,” Barry replied bluntly. “The candy is a lie and if it was with someone no one would recognize or I've never mentioned before then sure, no problem – but Harrison Wells? I agonized over this man for a year and Joe knows it." Cisco sighed and placed both hands on the table, leaning into Barry's space. 

"Listen, man, you've got to pretend for ten hours – maybe less, and then you pretend you broke up a few days later! I got you a smoking hot date with someone you can actually hold a conversation with, too! Take it or leave it, man, but I don't think you're going to find someone on such short notice to play pretend with." Barry cast his gaze away from his friend. Cisco was right, and he had stuck his neck out a little for Barry. The brunet realized with guilt that he was being ungrateful.

"You're right, Cisco – sorry." Barry smiled at him. "Lunch is on me."

"Damn right it is," Cisco laugh good-heartedly before making a snapping gesture with his hand. "Right! Almost forgot!" The raven-haired man pulled a folded up note card from his pocket. "Dr. Wells' cell number – he said to text him so you could meet up and talk about…I believe he phrased it as a " _back story in order to keep appearances coherent_ ”. Said he's available any time after six on the weekdays depending on if he has a project to run or something." Barry reached out his hand and willed it not to shake with anxious nerves.

"Right. Yeah." Barry cleared his throat. "Thanks again, Cisco."

"Man, I don't know why you're so freaked,” Cisco said, shaking his head. “I mean, you have met him before." Barry, of course, knew what Cisco had been referring to and it made the tips of his ears turn red as he thought about it. 

"Yeah – and I completely embarrassed myself in front of him."

"Dude, it's been like, six months! I'm sure he's forgotten all about the time you made a pass at him."

Barry's face turned completely red as he buried his head in his arms and groaned.

"Yeah, right." 

Cisco laughed at his friend’s expense and shook his head again. "Come on. It won't be that bad; I'll be there with Lisa, and Caitlin will be there with Ronnie! I'm sure Joe and Iris won't hound Dr. Wells too hard." Barry groaned again and peeked up at his friend from his arms.

"You do _not_ know the West family as well as I do."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barry arrived at Jitters nearly thirty minutes early. He and Harrison had spoken on the phone for a few terrifying minutes and Barry felt his leg jittering as he thought back to the conversation.

_The phone rang thrice before the call clicked over._

_"This is Harrison Wells."_

_Barry took a shuddering breath._

_"Uh. Hi."_

_Harrison chuckled lightly. Barry felt his heart swoon in his chest._

_"Is this perhaps Mr. Allen?”_

_Barry took a moment to clear his throat._

_"Yeah, uh – yes, hi, it's just Barry."_

_"Hello, Barry – to what do I owe this call?"_

_"I thought Cisco..." Harrison laughed again. It was good natured but had Barry's face flushing nonetheless._

_"Yes, Mr. Allen, Cisco has explained your predicament – my attempt at humor, apologies. How do you feel about discussing the details in person? Over coffee at Jitters?" Barry let a small smile slip on his face._

_"That sounds great. Um, how does tomorrow at three sound?"_

_"Would four be alright? I have a meeting until three."_

_"Yeah, that's great. Um, I'll see you there."_

_"I will see you tomorrow, Barry." Another moment and the call ended, Barry's hand still held the phone up to his ear as his stomach did its best to recreate an acrobatic act._

Now he was sitting in the cafe, leg shaking with nervous energy, hands clutching the coffee that was slowly growing lukewarm. His teeth were latched to his bottom lip as for the tenth time he checked the door to see if the other man was approaching.

His phone buzzed on the table and made Barry jump. 

_'Iris could use some help with the wedding decorations if you've got time later?'_

Barry grinned down at his phone. It had taken him a little while to get used to Eddie (it had taken a _lot_ of time, actually), but their friendship was solid and he knew when the other man was crying uncle. 

Barry could imagine it – Iris getting frustrated over how she didn't think Eddie was being as serious about the wedding as her and taking it out on him in a passive-aggressive manner as they worked over craft lists and color palettes.

_'Yeah. I should be there in a few hours to help.'_

The text he got back made him laugh.

_'You are a literal life saver, Barry Allen.'_

"Something terribly funny?" Barry almost dropped his phone in his coffee.

In front of him, dressed in a navy pea-coat and sinfully well cut black slacks was Harrison Wells. Barry's mouth felt dry in a matter of seconds. He tried to clear it as subtly as he could – and failed.

"Uh, yeah – just a text. _Um_ , hi." Barry gave an awkward smile which was rewarded with a casual grin from the older man. Harrison sat down with a grace that Barry envied. His awkwardly long limbs had caused him many problems in his teenage years.

"I see we both had the same idea of being early,” Harrison observed. “I hope you weren't here long." Barry checked the time on his phone – fifteen minutes till four.

"No, not at all – I just got here myself." Harrison smirked lightly and pointed to the coffee in front of Barry. He flushed and dipped his head slightly. "Uh, maybe a little bit of a wait." Harrison laughed again.

"No need to be bashful about it, Mr. Allen. Punctuality is something I greatly appreciate, thank you." Barry smiled shyly and took a sip of his coffee while Harrison waved over a staff member to place an order.

"So..." Barry felt so awkward bringing up the reason that they were both sat down at the cafe. "How much did Cisco fill you in?" Dr. Wells turned his attention back to Barry.

"He informed me that for roughly ten hours, you needed someone to be in a relationship with to save a wedding. He, _of course_ , phrased it much more dramatically. I believe he uttered the words, "the fate of the most important wedding in Central City may depend on it”. Yes, something like that – so I offered my services." Barry laughed softly. He was more than sure that Cisco had probably phrased it exactly how Harrison had described. Something, perhaps for the first time he had heard that the other man had offered his help, that he hadn't even questioned why Harrison Wells would agree to something like that.

"Can – uh – can I ask a question?" 

Harrison smiled, amused. "Since that will be the majority of this meeting I should hope so." 

Barry couldn't help the small laugh that bubbled past his lips. "Why did you agree to help me?" 

Harrison nodded in acknowledgment, his smile slipping slightly. "While I would like to say it was completely selfless I must be honest I need you as much, if not more as you need me for the next few weeks.” Barry's brows drew together in confusion as Wells went on. "The media has thought it a good idea to hound me about my person life, or as I should say, lack thereof, because of general reclusion. It's my belief that if they get a few pictures of us together, they might stop asking questions or simply get bored with the idea of a widower like myself with a young man like you." Barry could see the logic behind what Harrison was saying and smiled.

"That sounds like a completely fair trade for what I'm afraid you might have to put up with when it comes to my family." 

Harrison chuckled. "I'm sure that I can handle whatever they deem necessary to ask."

Barry bit his lip gently before taking another sip of coffee.

"I hope so."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

For the next week and a half before Iris' wedding, Barry and Harrison had been out on four "dates" Barry needed to put the mental quotations in himself because if he didn't then he would let himself believe that the time he and Harrison had been spending together was for something more than to put up pretenses for two different people.

They had spent the rest of their first meeting at Jitters talking about the basics of who they were, what they did and what childhood was like.

For the rest of their "dates", Barry and Harrison had talked about anything under the sun from favorite colors to the idea of dark matter and the applications of it. Barry had also been allowed into S.T.A.R. Labs in order for the farce to be more believable in case anyone was asked. Caitlin, of course, had known almost immediately something was up and they had explained what was going on. While she didn't approve of the lie, she agreed with why they were doing it.

A few times during their week and a half almost attached to each other’s hips, Barry caught the older man looking at him sometimes – like he was looking into space, but that space was completely _Barry_. It caught him off guard sometimes, to have that intense blue gaze solely fixed on him. It made Barry antsy, like he burning up under his skin.

Then there were the times where Harrison would _touch him_ , a soft hand on the shoulder, a passing graze. When Wells had grabbed Barry's hand for the first time in public, he'd done it so casually and it had made the other man nearly jump out of his skin. Then there was the time they had gone out to lunch and Harrison had leaned to whisper something funny into Barry's ear – and had pulled away and kissed his cheek. Barry had to mentally picture the quotation marks around the word "relationship."

Of course, the tabloids had gotten a picture of them laughing and walking side by side on "date" two, and had butchered it completely with the headline _"Genius Widower Harrison Wells seen with CCPD Boy Toy Barry Allen."_ It had been so shocking a statement that Barry had laughed wildly while Harrison apologized for the paper's lack of respect. What he hadn't remembered was that Iris worked in journalism and would see the paper and then tell Joe. He had only remembered it once more when he arrived home to Joe and Iris standing in the living room, matching disapproving faces and arms crossed over their chests.

The interrogation had been strenuous.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Two months." _Less than a week_.

"When did you meet?"

"At the S.T.A.R. Labs new Agriculture Division opening." _Not a lie_.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because I didn't want it to get in the way of Iris and Eddie's wedding." _Because it's not real_.

"Will he be coming to the wedding?"

"Yes." _Another true statement_.

On and on the questioning went until Barry could feel that they were getting tired. At this, Barry felt sufficiently guilty for not telling them beforehand. The brunet thought they were done before Iris asked a final question.

"Are you in love with him?" 

Barry had paused.

"It's too soon to tell." _I'm pretty sure I started falling in love with him the first time he smiled at me._

Now Barry was standing just outside his bedroom door, tux hugging him perfectly as he adjusted the boutonniere on his lapel for what seemed like the hundredth time. Right before he started down the stairs, he heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get it, Joe!" he called out, knowing without a doubt that it would be Harrison. 

"Don't rush yourself, kiddo, I've got it!" was the callback. By the time Barry reached the first landing, the door was already open and Joe was staring Harrison down.

"Dr. Wells."

"Mr. West."

"It's nice to finally meet you now that Barry graced us with the knowledge of your relationship." Barry could feel the edge to the words.

"My fault, I'm afraid. I asked Barry to keep it close to the chest until we were sure that we wanted to be public about it. As you might have already seen, the press find my personal life rather interesting – I didn't want Barry to suffer because of it until he was sure he wanted to handle any possible fall out." The words were carefully worded and as Barry descended the stairs, he could practically feel Joe reviewing them in his head for a falsehood.

"Well, I'm sure you can fill in any of the gaps Barry might have left out for the last two months. Iris and I made sure that the both of you would be sitting with us at the reception." 

To Harrison's credit, he didn't even flinch at the implication Joe was making.

"That sounds wonderful." Harrison looked up to catch Barry's gaze as he continued down the stairs. "Barry," the scientist’s voice was soft with almost a hint of awe. Barry's heart beat a little faster in his chest and he cursed his fair complexion for heating at the tone of voice.

"Hey," Barry smiled as he walked up to Harrison's side. In a moment of boldness, he placed a soft kiss on the man's cheek and turned to Joe. "If we stand here any longer, Iris is bound to think we aren't coming and she'll freak." Joe nodded and cast once more hard glance to Harrison before ushering the two men out of the house and towards their respective cars.

"If you don't mind, Dr. Wells, I'd like Barry to ride with me. I want to go over the speeches with him again." All three of them knew it was a lie, but Harrison nodded with a smile.

"Of course – who am I to stop him?" Harrison pulled Barry against him for a moment and pressed the barest of kisses to the corner of Barry's mouth. "I'll see you in a little while, yes?"

Barry, thrown off by the almost-kiss, nodded and squeaked out a yes before heading with Joe to his car.

Once in the car, Barry was sure he would choke on the tenseness that was radiating off of Joe.

"So..." Barry started to say, but Joe shot him a sideways glance that was enough to shut him up.

They drove in silence towards Iris' wedding. Barry checked the mirror occasionally to make sure that Harrison was still following them. When Joe finally spoke, Barry prepared himself for the worst.

"I..." He took a breath. "I don't understand _why_ you kept this from us, Barry." The younger man felt a small amount of guilt pooling in his stomach.

"I just thought..." Barry didn't have a good answer for this.

"Did you think I wouldn't understand? Did you not want us to meet him? You've never had a problem with us meeting any of your other relationships – so why this one? And don't say it was because he asked you to – we both know you would have said something to Iris and me. So what is it, Barry?"

Barry took a moment and thought about it – if he was _really_ in a relationship with Harrison, what would keep him from telling his adoptive father?

"He's older, for one thing, which I know you've never liked – and, I mean, he hasn't always had the best publicity and I just – I feel like you would think that I'm only with him because he's Harrison Wells – and I just – I didn't want to make a big deal out of it and have you disappointed in me. I thought it would be easier." Barry could feel the emotion catching in his throat and he realized that he had thought it would be easier, lying to them about something seemingly so simple. And then he realized something.

The real reason that he was as sad as he was at that moment wasn't because of the falsehood he had to tell his family. It was the lie he was telling himself. The lie that every touch Harrison gave him didn't burn into his memory, that every time the other man said his name softly it didn't send his stomach into a fluttering fit – 

And that he wasn't completely over the moon for Harrison Wells. (And it was almost over.)

Tears began to form in his eyes. 

"Barr-"

"Oh, look," Barry cut in, whipping the unshed tears away and cleared his throat. "We're here."

Barry exited the car quickly and walked over to where Harrison was parked. He hoped his face wasn't blotched with red as the older man came to stand in front of him.

"How was the car ride?" 

Barry gave a mocking laugh. "Mortifying doesn't even cover it." 

Harrison gave him an apologetic smile and reached a hand out to adjust Barry's boutonniere and flatten his tux lapel. "I am sure that once Iris is on her way down the aisle, everything will be alright. Weddings are supposed to be a happy occasion, so let's be happy, alright?" Harrison's voice took on a calming effect and for that moment, Barry believed him. He smiled.

"Yeah. My best friend is getting married." Harrison gave a half smiled and took Barry's hand in his.

\----------------------------------------------------------

The ceremony went off without a hitch; Iris was gorgeous in her dress and Barry had never been happier for her. There was a moment before the vows were exchanged when Eddie met his gaze. Barry shot him a smile and a thumbs up, honestly meaning the approval. The whole thing couldn't have gone better and Harrison had been right. The moment that he dreaded was suddenly there, though – the reception.

They entered the spacious and well-decorated dance hall. The tables wrapped with flush colored cloth and the centerpieces looked wonderful with pink roses and silver beads. Iris and Barry had spent _hours_ working out how to make everything come together and he was happy to see it had in the end.

Everyone was seated at the circular tables – Eddie, Iris, Joe, Harrison, and Barry being seated at the front most. After a few moments, Joe stood and delivered his speech and then Barry and after that it was time for the dinner. Barry wanted to reach across the few inches of space between him and Harrison and take the other man's hand in his own to dim the nerves rampaging in his stomach. He didn't. 

Barry had been hoping that Eddie would keep Iris' attention off of Harrison and himself for at least the majority of the night. Thirty minutes into the dinner and Iris turned her gaze to Harrison a smile on her lips. At least she was taking it better than Joe seemed to be which surprised Barry quite a bit.

"So, Dr. Wells, Barry's told us a lot about your relationship, but I've got some questions for you." Harrison smiled and crossed the distance of the table with his hand to catch Barry's. The younger man let out a breath he hadn't even known he was holding.

"Of course, I expected nothing else – please go right ahead." Barry was not expecting Iris to pull any punches. She didn't disappoint.

"What exactly do you like about Barry?" Barry almost winced. _Right out of the gate_. 

Harrison only chuckled, giving Barry's hand a squeeze. "While I could be vague and say something along the lines of "what _isn't_ to like," but I think you meant more specifically." 

Iris smirked with amusement and nodded while Joe wore a hard scowl. 

"I suppose I could start with the fact that he is quite handsome – but really, anyone can have a pretty face," Harrison cast a wistful look to Barry before continuing, "he is also one of the smartest people I've ever known. He's constantly surprising me with his humor and endless determination – I can honestly say that I've never met anyone as wonderful as him before."

Barry felt his jaw slacken and his face heat up considerably – he couldn't even look at the other man. Iris nodded, giving her approval of the statement without words.

"Alright, and what made you notice our _wonderful_ Barry Allen in the first place?" Harrison laughed loudly and Barry used his free hand to cover his face.

"Well, it was the opening night of our agriculture wing at S.T.A.R. and Cisco had asked for a guest pass. I was curious about who it might be and was introduced to Barry. I was already quite enthralled by his witticism and then I believe that I mentioned something about it being hot…and Barry felt it proper to compare me to that of an exothermic reaction." Barry's face was flushed red and Harrison was chuckling to himself as he squeezed the younger man's hand in reassurance.

"That's... _sweet_. I don't have a clue what it means but it sounds very Barry like." 

Harrison only smiled.

"In layman's terms he called me a very attractive man and I too found it... rather endearing." Barry looked up. Harrison was looking at him with a soft expression and it made a warm feeling start to pool in Barry's chest, one that made his heart ache and his stomach swoon and his head feel a thousand times lighter. Barry pulled his hand away from Harrison's and stood up.

"I, uh, I need to use the restroom – excuse me." Barry moved quickly through the dining hall and into the corridor until he reached one of the bathrooms with a little stick figure man above the door. He pushed into the room and thanked any god he could think of that it was empty so he could be alone with his panic.

Barry's breathing began to grow shallow and the once-warm feeling in his chest started to churn his stomach. He needed to calm down, but the weight of everything felt crushing. He took a breath and then another until he was calm enough to think clearly.

"Alright," Barry said to no one, " _get a grip_ – it was a _look_." He groaned in frustration, "It's also the way he says your name or holds your hand or laughs but yeah, _just_ a _look_." Barry splashed water on his face and took another second to breathe before straightening up and heading to go back into the dance hall.

Once seated again at the table, Barry plastered a smile on his face and apologized for his exit. Only Joe gave him a second glance as Iris addressed him.

"No problems, Barr – you just left Harrison here to our clutches and further interrogations."

"Terrifying, truly," Iris laughed and Barry couldn't help the giggle of his own.

"And now that dinner is done with, I believe Mrs. Thawne, it is time for dancing," Eddie smiled down at his wife as he stood, holding a hand out and signaling for the DJ in the corner to start the playlist. As was tradition in the West family household the bride and the groom got the floor to themselves for the first minute or so of the couples song before the other pairs were allowed to make their ways to the dance floor.

A minute passed as Barry watched Iris and Eddie sway peacefully in each other arms and suddenly Harrison was taking his hand gently.

"Might I have this dance, Mr. Allen?" Barry could feel the protest starting in his throat and then he realized, this was his last real day to be with Harrison in their "relationship." Why shouldn't he make the most out of it? So instead of politely declining (as he was born with two left feet), Barry agreed with a tentative smile.

"I'm probably going to step on your toes." 

Harrison laughed and pulled Barry close to him, one hand on his hip and the other clutching his palm.

"Don't worry, Barry – I'll lead." 

And so they danced. Barry was surprised how easy it was to move with Harrison. He only stumbled a few times and to his credit, the older man didn't complain – even when Barry botched up the rhythm.

One song led to two and two led to four and sooner than Barry thought they were on to another slow song. Harrison pulled him close again, only a sliver of space between their chests as they moved. Harrison broke their peaceful silence a minute or so into the song.

"Barry, I was thinking about the staging of the breakup." 

Barry almost recoiled from Harrison. The younger man was sure his face betrayed him so he turned to look at their feet as they moved and to keep Harrison from going, started to blather.

"I figured we'd wait a few days – breaking up right after the wedding would seem suspicious and might give Joe even more ideas and it would probably upset Iris." Barry could feel the other man tense and his eyes started to itch painfully. He willed away the tears – he was _not_ going to cry about a relationship ending when it didn't even really exist in the first place.

"Barry, I –"

"And I know that you wanted to make sure it was public so that the newspaper wouldn't hound you anymore so we could do something like a fight if you wanted." He didn't want Harrison to speak – he wanted it to be simple, clean, and easy "break-up." _God, why wouldn't his eyes focus?!_

"Barry –"

"So we'd just need to take a couple of days to get it sorted out and to make it look real, like we started to ignore each other at the lab or something, just, I –" Harrison rose his voice and placed a hand on Barry's cheek.

_"Barry Allen, will you look at me."_

Barry did.

What he saw was the expression of someone trying not to look sad. He was seeing Harrison at war with his emotions, there was fondness and the tinge of confusion but mostly all Barry saw was him being sad.

"I was," the older man took a breath, "I was hoping that perhaps you would consider if we forgo the break-up, but if you are set to do so.” 

Barry's brows pulled together in confusion. "I – _what_?"

"I don't want to stop this relationship, Mr. Allen. Everything that I have said to you from the moment that we met was true – especially everything that I've said today. I am quite entranced by you, Barry, and I was hoping that you might feel the same." Harrison smiled as he dropped Barry's hand. "I can see, though, that this isn't the case and apologize for being in any way inappropriate." 

Barry’s words were failing him. He was pretty sure that his brain was going through a series of misfires – he stared, wide-eyed, as Harrison Wells turning away from him. 

Barry reached out and grabbed at Harrison's wrist before he was completely turned from him. With what strength he could muster, Barry tugged hard on the man's arm and pulled him against his chest, dropping his head to place a kiss against Harrison's lips. He didn't need to wait for a response, for as soon as Barry was kissing him Harrison was taking control of the kiss, lighting another fire in Barry's chest.

While it wasn't a deep or particularly frantic kiss, it sent its message clearly between the two. Once they pulled away for air, forehead touching and hands interlocked, Barry reiterated the meaning.

"I – in no way, shape or form – want to end this relationship. These have been the best two weeks of my life and if you think that I'm letting that go, you might not be as smart as we both know you are." Harrison laughed, the air puffing out against Barry's lips.

"Good." 

No more words were needed as Harrison pulled the other man in for another kiss.


	5. Prompt 6 - Soulmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seriously guys check out andthatiswhythelightningstruck she's the best beta ever and I am lucky to be in her good graces, which allows me to get her to read my grammatically hideous work.
> 
> Prompt 6 - Soulmates
> 
> When eleven-year-old Barry Allen figured out that the lightning bolt on his hip didn’t match Iris West’s stylised swirl he cried for a whole night but he got over it and fifteen years later they were great friends. At the age of twenty-two and well in his college days Harrison Wells has lived with the idea of never having a soulmate, his body never had a “mark” until he turned twenty-three and suddenly there was a lightning bolt carving itself into the back of his shoulder.

At age eleven, when Barry received his mark, he had been hoping that it would match Iris West's, his best friend (and the person Barry knew he would love for the rest of his life.) When the lightning bolt appeared on his upper hip, a part of him was completely devastated that it didn't match his friend’s intricate swirl, the one she wore proudly on her palm. Joe had consoled him and eventually Barry came to terms with the outcome that fate had in store for him.

When he reached the age of twenty-six, mother gone, father in jail and city being overrun by metahumans every time he turned, Barry wondered if his mark was just a joke. Barry, at a point, enjoyed the irony – now, though, it was a constant reminder that while he had friends, people who loved him, almost all of them had already found their match. Caitlin with Ronnie, Iris with Eddie (even Oliver and Felicity in Starling.)

Barry had had these thoughts before, often when he was lying in bed, arms spread out and wondering when there might be a person to wrap his arms around. He wasn't one of those radicals who was never with someone unless they found their soulmate because they believed it was as perverse as cheating but Barry was romantic and so he didn't date much.

This time of contemplation was different. For one, he was not in his bed and instead of slipping into the darkness of sleep, Barry was sinking into unconsciousness as a beam pressed down on his sternum, taking the air from his lungs and causing his vision to go fuzzy. Static popped in his ear an incoherent voice now and then, but mostly, it was just white noise.

As darkness closed in, the voice got stronger.

"Ba * _shhhhh_ * Barry c * _screee_ * Barry, can you hear me?" Barry choked out against the pillar to answer.

"Dr. Wells?" His voice was breathy with the struggle to speak. He wondered if his soulmate could feel this pain as well, Barry figured that he'd never know.

"I've made the connection as stable * _sssshh_ * can. The explosion hit this part of the labs * _ssssss_ * afraid I've been pinned, can you move?" For the first time in what felt like hours, Barry could focus on something other than the pain in his ribs as they struggled to keep his body from being crushed. For the first time Barry could hear that Harrison Wells was not composed, he sounded to be in pain.

"No, there's a beam on," Barry struggled again to take a breath, "there's a beam on my chest, can't move."

"I need -" a sharp intake of breath cut off Dr. Wells’ voice, "I need you to listen to me Barry," there was another groan.

"Dr. Wells? What's wrong?" Barry tried again to push the beam from his chest, a shallow panic rising in the back of his mind.

"I – in the explosion * _crkkkk_ * I was knocked from my chair – I’m pinned under a shelf; there's glass * _scrrrrrrrr_ * I'll be alright as long as I don't move." Barry tried another strong push and was rewarded with an inch of breathing space and the agonizing pulse of his obviously bruised ribs.

"I can't get free, I can't get to you."

"You can."

"How?" Barry's voice was stronger, laced with a determination he hadn't had a moment before.

"It's possible -" Wells was cut off by a horrible cough. Barry pushed harder against the beam, but his strength was failing. "It's possible that if you could vibrate to the natural frequency of air, your cells * _ceeeeeee_ * in a state of excitement that would potentially allow you to phase through the beam." Barry didn't like the uncertainty caused by the phrase " _would potentially_."

"I can't."

" _You can_. And you need to. The bomb -" another choked off cough. "The bomb has shaken the foundation of this wing and in a matter of hours, maybe even minutes, the ceiling will come down on us. Caitlin and Cisco were * _shhhhhhh_ * but there isn't much they can do from the outside." Barry could hear the way that Dr. Wells was panting for breath, struggling for the words. If Barry didn't do this, the man on the other end of the static-laced connection would die. They would _both_ die. 

Barry hesitated.

"Dr. Wells I -"

"I believe in you Barry Allen, I always have.” 

_Those words._

Barry didn't know how they filled him with such energy, but they did. They gave him confidence when he felt as though the world were weighing down on him. He would have laughed how only minutes before he'd been reminiscing over soulmates. 

Barry closed his eyes and focused on the feeling of his body moving in place, faster and faster and **_faster_** , with Wells' labored and static breath in his ear all the while – until suddenly, he wasn't Barry Allen anymore. He was more and then he was himself once more. A split second and the beam was no longer on him as he’d moved forward; the moment his body was no longer whole. Barry gave a strangled " _whoop_ ," clutching at his ribs.

"Well done, Mr. Allen." Harrison's voice had grown weaker – Barry was focused almost immediately to the voice in his ear.

"What lab are you in? What's the fastest way to get to you?" 

Wells gave a strained chuckle. "I'm sorry Barry, I'm not sure you can." A tone of white noise clicked over – it took Barry a moment to process the words.

"No. I'm coming to get you. Tell me how."

"The structure is too unstable. You'd be risking your own life."

"Tell me or I'll start searching all the labs till I find you."

Another broken laugh.

"You are persistent, Mr. Allen." Barry couldn't help the small smile on his lips. "I'm in lab 23B; there's a fire this way, so be careful." The second that Barry knew which lab Dr. Wells was in, the speedster was off skirting fires and overturned and warped metal. He was there within seconds. A fire blazed next to him as he turned into the room. The entrance was obscured by a metal beam across the frame.

"Dr. Wells?!" Barry called into the dark and slightly burning room. He heard a groan from the dusty lab. 

"Over here." 

Barry was ducking under the superheated beam in a moment and by Dr. Wells’ side in the next. The state that the other man was in made Barry cringe. His left shoulder was completely covered by an overturned shelf, his cheek cut by fallen glass, and his right hand a bloody mess. Barry lifted the shelf off the other man., trying his best not to shake the shoulder.

"I'm going to have to carry you." Wells scoffed lightly.

"Well, this is quite embarrassing." Barry flushed to his ears as he came around to Harrison's right side, scooping an arm under the scientist’s knees and the other across the top of his back. Harrison gasped out in pain as Barry pressed against the shoulder that Harrison was sure he'd fractured.

"Do you think you're going into shock?" Barry asked as he carried the man. He wasn't going to risk speeding with Harrison in his arms – it was too risky, almost as risky as traversing through the labs that could collapse at any moment.

"I think I might pass out if that is what you're trying to determine – hit my head against the floor rather hard – have determined I most likely have a severe concussion." Barry tensed for a moment and on instinct, drew the man tighter against his chest. Harrison said nothing.

"You can't fall asleep then; we need you to stay awake." Barry couldn't help the afterthought of _I need you to stay awake_. 

"Then talk to me, Mr. Allen." Harrison's voice was growing soft and for some reason, Barry thought back to his train of thought as he lay under the smoldering pillar.

"Was Tess your soulmate? I know it's not any of my business, but I got this thought that maybe while I was trapped under the beam that maybe, somehow my soulmate could feel that. And, I don't know, I just..." Barry trailed off, his face heating with embarrassment again.

"No. While Tess _was_ my wife, we were not each other’s soulmates so I'm not sure that I can properly answer your question." Barry nodded.

"Are you unmarked then?"

"No. I have a mark." Barry didn't ask to know what it was, even though tremendously his stomach flipped at the idea that Harrison Wells hadn't met his soulmate either.

"Do...do you know who it is?" Barry had often thought many times to take a picture and circle it around social media in order to find his match like many of the people did nowadays. His father often scoffed when Barry expressed the idea to him. He'd say _'son, your mother and I found each other all by fate's hand. You'll find your soulmate and not because you flashed your mark across the Internet.'_

"Yes." Barry's chest clenched as he ducked under another beam and skirted a fire. They were almost at the exit of the lab, the wreckage becoming less so. 

"Have –" Barry knew that he was pushing. "Have you told them?"

"It would be unfair of me to do so." Barry didn't get a chance to ask why, but Harrison went on. "I'm disabled, I'm a widower, they're younger than myself and their heart, I'm afraid, belongs to another. It would be unfair of me to put that person in a bind because of something so selfish." Barry's eyes widened in surprise. He'd never thought about it like that. There were plenty of people who fell in love with people who didn't share their mark. He hadn't even thought of those who had and had found their soulmate later.

"That – I guess that makes sense. I just – I guess I'd want to know, though, even if I was with someone who didn't have a mark like mine…I'd at least want to know that person was out there." Harrison chuckled and coughed again.

"That, while a nice thought, is quite a naive notion Mr. Allen." Barry felt another wave of embarrassment.

"We're almost at the exit – it's blocked so I'll have to put you down to clear it." Barry tried to keep the tint of confusing sadness from his voice as he reached the blocked door. There was shouting from the other side. Barry could tell it was Cisco.

"We're in here, guys!" Barry called out as he placed Harrison against the wall. The older man’s head lolled to the side and Barry snapped his fingers in front of Wells' face in a panic to keep the man's eyes open. 

"I need you to stay awake, please." There was something desperate in his voice.

"Sorry, Barry – can't; it hurts." Harrison's words were slurred together and Barry knew that he'd lost the man to unconsciousness. Barry was at least relieved he wouldn't be feeling the pain of his shoulder and cuts anymore.

A moment later and the scarlet speedster was working on unblocking the entrance to the safe part of the building while he could hear Cisco and Caitlin on the other side doing the same. After a few minutes, the door was unblocked and a small group of people were making their way to Barry, who was now back at Harrison's side. At that moment, Barry wasn't worried about being seen in his Flash suit, but he was thankful that the only people who seemed to be in the room were Cisco, Caitlin, Joe, and Eddie.

"Come on, kiddo, the fire house is on its way and we need to get you into civvies." Barry nodded to Joe in acknowledgment as he picked up Wells once more and carried him through the door and into the hall.

"He needs medical attention. He said he hit his head hard and I know that his shoulder is messed up really bad." Caitlin nodded as the group of four rushed towards the center of S.T.A.R. Labs. 

"Set him over there, Barry," Caitlin motioned to the medical bed that Barry was usually on. There was a twisting in Barry’s gut when he placed Dr. Wells down on it instead.

"Joe's right, Barry – you need to get into regular clothes _fast_." Barry nodded and was gone in the blink of an eye. Caitlin moved over to Dr. Wells' side.

"Cisco, help me lift him up. Joe do you think you can handle the fireman while I tend to Dr. Wells?" Joe nodded and left the room as Cisco moved to help lift Harrison up. Caitlin peeled the sweat and dust covered shirt from her boss’ chest.

Harrison's shoulder made both scientists wince. It was already molting green and purple.

Caitlin felt the skin and bone – nothing seemed to be cracked…definitely, _definitely_ bruised, but nothing that a week or so of rest and relaxation couldn't fix.

"Cisco, help me turn him over so I can see the cuts on his back." Caitlin slipped on a pair of fresh gloves with a snap and as Cisco turned him over. They both paused. 

Right where a bruise was beginning to form was a "mark" – one they had both seen before on a completely different person. Caitlin reached out hesitantly, but the tell-tale sound of air moving had her snapping her hand back.

"I brought him some water in case he wakes up... guys?" Barry's voice trailed off as he took in the stillness of his friends. Harrison was on the bed, laying on his stomach, surprisingly muscled back exposed to the air. Caitlin and Cisco were blocking him from having a good view so the brunet drew closer.

Knowing he couldn't stop what was about to happen, Cisco started to speak.

"I swear, Barry, we had no idea – we would have said something, this is..." Barry's brow drew together in confusion as he pushed past Cisco to get a better look at whatever the two were hiding. Barry froze, the glass of water falling from his hand in shock. Under the ever darkening bruise across Harrison Wells shoulder was a lightning bolt, clear as day. Barry's hand went to his hip and a scowl made its way to his face.

"Barry," Caitlin reached out with her hand to touch the man's shoulder, but Barry pulled away from the touch.

"I... I need to be alone." And with that, the speedster was gone.

"That could have gone better."

"Understatement of the year, Cisco."

\------------------------------

Harrison woke to bright lights and a pounding headache, his throat was parched and his left side feeling as though it was on fire. He could feel the IV drip in his arm and the feeling of eyes on him. Harrison lifted his head in the direction of that feeling and met the brown gaze of Barry Allen.

"How long," Harrison tried to swallow past the lump in throat; Barry moved tensely and held a plastic cup of water to his lips. Wells took greedy sips before Barry was pulling it back from his mouth. "How long was I out?"

Barry sat back against his chair. 

"A day and a few hours." Harrison nodded. He wasn't surprised – he had hit his head quite hard on the floor. They sat in tense silence, the only noise breaking the strained atmosphere being the heart monitor Harrison was hooked up to. Harrison was the first to break after ten minutes or so.

"Have I done something to upset you? Aside from almost dying, that is?" Barry said nothing and Harrison huffed a breath. "Is it about the comment I made about your opinion on a matter you're not a part of? Because I assure you -" He was cut off with a single seething look from Barry. Harrison had never seen Barry give anyone but Snart – that look and to have it directed on him caused Harrison to shrink back slightly.

" _I saw it_."

Harrison felt a pit begin to form in his stomach at the tone in Barry's voice.

"I don't -"

" _Don'_ t tell me you don't know what I'm talking about!" Barry was up on his feet in a matter of seconds. "I saw it when Caitlin was checking your shoulder! How long did you know?! _How long?!_ " Barry's voice raised as he glared daggers at Harrison. "Since the coma? _Before_? How long have you known our marks matched!?" Harrison said nothing. Barry made an angry noise in the back of his throat as he tore his gaze away from him, whipping around and gripping his hands as they shook.

"I didn't know until you were awake." 

Barry turned to glance at the man over his shoulder. At least Wells looked guilty enough to not meet his eyes. 

"It wasn't until you were poisoned and Caitlin had to get the top of your suit off. Your hip was uncovered – and I saw it."

"You didn't say anything. You've known for _months_ and you didn't say." Barry turned back to the man, his voice was soft now, filled with a sadness he didn't know he could feel.

Harrison's voice became soft, his words coming out almost like an apology. "I've given you my reasons Barry. You might not like them, but that does not make them any less valid." 

Barry scoffed. "You said that it wouldn't be fair to me."

Harrison cast his gaze away from the other man. Barry wasn't having any of it. He backed into his chair and grabbed Harrison's hand, forcing his eyes back on him. "You said that you didn't tell me because you're disabled. I don't _care_ about that; I never have. You said it's because you're a widower. The fact that you're still here, even after that – why would that even _matter_ to me? Because I'm younger? Only by twelve years and there are couples whose age gaps are bigger. And while I _did_ love Iris like that, I realized that she was happier with Eddie, so I just wanted to be her friend – _so no_ , my heart doesn't belong to another." Barry searched for some kind of answer in Harrison's eyes, but they remained passive – as though he was trying to block Barry out.

"It simply wouldn't work." 

Barry felt a cool chill pass over his heart and he shakily withdrew his hand from Harrison's.

"Why. _Explain_ to me why."

"I already have."

"You've explained nothing." Barry was getting angry again. "You've given me _excuses_! You haven't given me _answers_!" 

Barry knew something snapped when Harrison sat up abruptly; it looked like there were tears welling in his frustrated eyes. Barry took a physical step back.

"You want to know. You want to know how I _agonized_ over this decision not to tell you – how at _every_ chance, I had to hold myself back from explaining – showing you the mark. How _every_ _single time_ I saw you look at Ronnie and Caitlin with those eyes, it killed me to not pull you close and tell you I was right there, that I _matched_. But I can't – there aren't words to explain that, Barry."

Barry's eyes were soft. 

"But why?" The question came in a defeated whisper, all the anger completely deflated. 

"Because I couldn't have this with you and then lose you,” Harrison whispered. “I've been through it once with a bond not as strong as the one we would form and if I _lost_ you, it would drive me to complete madness. I couldn't, Barry, I can't." 

Barry reached for Harrison's hand again but pulled back at the last second. "You don’t think I'm strong enough?"

"No; never, Barry, _never_.” This time, Harrison reached for Barry and clasped his hand over his.

"Then why can't we try? I trust you. When everything starts to go south, I trust you more than anything and I want you to trust me – with _this_ ," Barry gestured to their hands, "and _this_." The brunet placed his other hand against Harrison's chest. "I get that you don't want to hurt, but trying to fight this would just hurt more, and I would never hurt you." Barry tried to catch Harrison's eyes with his own.

"You can't predict if you'll die or not, Barry; you can't sit there and tell me your life will never be on the line. You can't promise that I won't listen to you die or be there to see it happen." Harrison caught the Barry’s eyes – and he knew that he could start to cry at any moment.

"I can." 

Wells opened his mouth to protest, but Barry pulled his hand back from Harrison's chest and held it up to stop his words.

"I can, because every time that I am out there, risking my life to help this city, you are right there every time, making sure that I don't die – and you would never let it happen. _You_ , or Cisco, or Caitlin – _you_ would never let it happen. So please, I can't – I won't let this go, and I won't ever stop trying to convince you. So please." Barry knew what he was pleading for but had no way to articulate it.

Harrison cast his gaze down again.

"I can't – I _can't_ lose you." The words were a trembling whisper.

Barry gathered up what little courage he had and moved closer to the other man. The hand not still in Harrison's caught him under the chin, lifting his face towards Barry's.

"You won't." The words were whispered across Harrison's lips before Barry was kissing him. Any shaky resolve that Harrison was keeping up dissolved at that moment as he pressed into the kiss Barry offered. 

It was like tasting freedom. 

The weight he had been feeling was lifting from his chest as he pressed into the kiss the best he could without his head pounding too much or his shoulder pulling too hard. The sound of clicking heels had them pulling apart second before Caitlin entered the room.

"I – um – I hope that I'm not interrupting anything." 

Barry laughed lightly as he pulled a respectable distance away from Harrison. 

"No – uh – we were just working something out."

"Yes, no harm done, Mrs. Snow." Caitlin smiled at the two men whose hands were still clasped together.

"Glad to hear it. However, I _do_ need to steal some of Barry's time if that's alright – there was a metahuman sighting downtown and Cisco thinks Barry should look into it." Harrison clutched the younger man's hand a little tighter.

Barry sent him a reassuring smile before giving his hand a squeeze and pulling away.

"Sounds fine. Tell him I'll be out in the field in a few minutes. And you," Barry turned to Harrison, "I'll be back before you know it – in one piece, I promise." Harrison nodded reluctantly as the speedster left the room.

Harrison didn't know where any of it – any of _this_ – was going, but he figured that Barry was persistent and right.

They would all just have to see where things went from there.

"Now, Dr. Wells, I'm going to have to take a look at that shoulder."

Harrison barely suppressed an exasperated groan as he sat up the best he could to let Caitlin look at the injury. _At least some things were simple._


	6. Prompt 7 - Free Day - Vampire AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I will ever stop praising andthatiswhythelightningstruck over her wonderful Beta'ing skills for the gramatically error-filled trash. Thank you again lovely! (check out her ao3 and tumblr!)
> 
> Prompt 7 - Free Day (Vampire Au)
> 
> Eobard Thawne is nearly one hundred and fifteen years old. His name may have changed over the years but not his appetite. Eternity is a long time for a vampire. Finding Barry Allen has just made it a little more bearable for the man who now calls himself Harrison Wells.

\-----Harrison-----

Harrison felt the jabs of hunger deep in his throat as he rolled his chair into one of the many wings of S.T.A.R. Labs. Thankfully, this one was empty, just as Caitlin assured it would be. The woman was instrumental in Harrison's research and proved time and time again that she was worthy of the secret he had bestowed upon her.

With her help, Harrison and Caitlin had been working two years and counting with other brilliant geneticists and biologists in hopes of making a near perfect blood substitute. While the majority of the research had been to replace the need for so many donors and the saving of countless lives, there was also the purpose that Harrison had been hoping for it to fulfill.

Over the past two years, they had been trying but something simply wasn't clicking to make the substitute universal and substantial. While it drove Caitlin (the overseer of the project) to find different things to try, all it was doing for Dr. Wells was driving him _insane_.

The man wheeled his way to one of the cabinets, plate glass making a box that allowed for finding things easily. Harrison found what he needed in a matter of seconds. He pulled one of the long test tubes filled with test R21-6 out of its placeholders and uncapped the lid. He could smell the metallic hint of copper.

Taking a breath, the man tipped the vile to his lips and took a deep pull from the glass beaker. The artificial blood tasted close to the real thing – the tang of copper was there (yet lacked the unique taste very human had) and for a moment, it ended Harrison's thirst. The brunet smiled and closed his eyes. Taking an unnecessary breath, the man glanced down at his feet and (apprehensively) placed a foot on the ground than the other. Snapping the test tube back into its place, Harrison used his free hands to grip the arms of his chair and push up. He could feel the blood substitute pooling in his stomach and sending strength to his limbs.

Harrison stood – and for the first time in what felt like months, he stood on his own two feet. That, of course, was when things went horribly wrong. The moment of triumph was cut short by the blood slowing in his veins and turning in his stomach, Harrison faltered on his feet, strength drained in a split second. He fell to his knees, hands thrown out to catch his body before it hit the ground.

Harrison's stomach convulsed as the blood churned and rushed from his body, now black against the hard tile of the labs floor. Harrison wretched, body expelling the artificial blood from his body. In the distance, he heard the soft clicking of hurried heeled feet the moment before Caitlin was in the room, closing the door that Harrison had left open.

"Dr. Wells!" she exclaimed, rushing to his side, placing a hand on his back. "I thought we agreed that you wouldn't try the tests without me present! What if someone else had found you like this?!" Harrison knew that she had a right to be upset, but that meant little to him as the energy rushed from his body. His throat clenched with hunger, wanting once more to be wetted with blood.

Harrison looked up to meet Caitlin's gaze, blue eyes now tinted red, fangs dropped and deadly.

"Get me one of the bags. _Now_." 

Caitlin never needed to be told twice. She knew that when Dr. Wells was like this, he was more dangerous than ever – and to disobey could cause her injury, or worse, death.

Only a moment later, the woman returned to Harrison's side a small bag of blood in hand. With a clawed grip, Wells grabbed the bag from Caitlin and sat back against his knees. With the bag in hand, Harrison set his fangs against the plastic and clamped down. It was like euphoria – momentary strength and the sedation of the hunger that raged beneath his skin was slowly being silenced by the natural blood filling his stomach, his veins, the very being of his person.

In moments, the bag was drained, not even the smallest of drops having been spared by Harrison's thirst. Caitlin stood back from the scene. She had grown used to the sight of what happened after each failed attempt.

"Are you going to be alright now, Dr. Wells?" She wouldn't approach until he allowed her to. It was much safer if she didn't, not right after he fed.

Taking a moment to regain what little composure he could, Harrison stood swiftly to his feet, the back of his hand rubbing against his lips to clean any blood from his face.

"Yes, Mrs. Snow, I'll be alright." Caitlin nodded, her heels clicking gently as she moved past the man towards where the empty veil of synthetic blood lay in its holder. She picked up the glass and placed it in one of the biohazards labeled _trash containers_ they had around the lab.

"I'll have to make a manual log for the missing experiment," Caitlin said in an off-handed comment as she moved to the computer to key it in.

"We're so close – _so close_ ; we're missing something – something so _small_ , I'm sure of it." Harrison moved back to his chair and sat down. The strength he was feeling would fade slowly over the next few days and with it, the hunger would return.

"I'm not sure what we could be missing but whatever it is, we _will_ find it," Caitlin promised as she finished entering the last of the false information – and making sure that the footage of the lab was lapsed over, something that she took to mastering.

"Yes, but for now, it's almost two a.m – you should be at home with Ronnie."

"And you should be at home _resting_."

It was an argument the two had many times before. Where Harrison was worried about Caitlin keeping odd hours to keep up with him and the help he needed, she was worried about him hurting himself or worse yet, others.

"How about we both go home and get some sleep then?" Caitlin smiled, nodding slightly as she rounded the small pool of black tar that was once blood.

"We'll tell the night crew that it was a lab experiment gone wrong." Harrison was good at answering unasked questions and the lie was simple enough that it had been told many a time before.

"Good night, Dr. Wells."

"Good night, Caitlin."

\------Barry-----

Barry woke on his day off to the sound of someone pounding on his door. (Half-asleep, of course, Barry thought it was nothing.) The brunet rolled over and pulled his duvet over his head to try and block out the sound he knew shouldn't be at his door. The knocking, however, didn’t let up – it only got _louder_.

"Barry, man, open the door!" the familiar voice only pulled Barry further and further away from the depths of sleep.

" _Goh’ay._ " Barry murmured loudly from his den of pillows and sheets. The knocking on his door had stopped mere moments before, only to be replaced by a scratching kind of noise. Barry scrunched up his eyes in confusion as the sound of his lock popping drew attention to the door once more. The man rose from his makeshift bed and turned his body towards the entrance to his lab.

"Barry, I'm pretty sure it's not healthy to be sleeping in your living room, man." Cisco closed the door behind him, slipping what looked like a credit card back into his wallet.

"Did you just _jimmy_ your way into my house?" It was a question with an obvious answer, but the sheepish look that covered his friend’s face made asking it worth it.

"Dude, once you get up and dressed, you won't even be mad that I had to break into your house to wake you up."

_'On my day off,'_ Barry thought begrudgingly.

Seeing the look that Barry was giving him, Cisco rolled his eyes. " _Dude_ , just get up – it’ll all make sense, I promise." 

Barry groaned and flopped back against his couch for a second before conceding and throwing the blankets off himself. "Just be glad Joe's at work so he can't arrest you for a B and E."

Thirty minutes later, Barry was dressed, his teeth brushed, and standing outside of S.T.A.R. Labs.

"Cisco, if you brought me here to rub it in that you got a job at S.T.A.R. Labs, then I've told you – it stopped working a while ago..." 

Cisco gave a good hearted laugh as he knocked his shoulder against Barry's. "No, _no_ , I've gotten that satisfaction out of my system. I wanted to show you the new toys that we just got." 

Barry turned to give Cisco a questioning look. 

"Genetic splicer and a photonic laser for surgical practice."

Barry's face lit up at the idea of being able to get his hands on that tech even if only for a second, for being able to go into S.T.A.R. Labs.

He paused in his excitement. "Am I even allowed to go in?" 

Cisco gave him a sly smile and passed him a key card label "GUEST." Barry's face broke out into a smile again. "Dude. How-" 

Cisco held up a hand. "You _do not_ need to know the answer to that question." 

Barry laughed as they headed into the building.

\-----Harrison-----

Harrison could _feel_ the change in the air, a scent that hadn't been in the building a moment before and one so point that it drew Harrison's focus completely away Caitlin as she went over the preliminary report of the latest test.

"- and that's why the blood isn't attaching properly to the...are you paying attention, Dr. Wells?" Caitlin couldn't sense it – couldn't taste the pheromones in the air like Harrison could. He snapped his gaze back towards here and in the moment that he saw her face, realized what had happened. Half-extended fangs were digging into his bottom lip, his irises rimming red and his body and chair towed towards the door like at any moment he'd been ready to pounce from his chair.

Harrison shook his head, retracting his fangs and trying to force his eyes back to their usual blue. "I'm sorry, Caitlin; I got distracted." 

The woman scoffed lightly. "That was one hell of a distraction, Dr. Wells."

"Yes Caitlin, I'm afraid it was. Would you mind getting me one of the bags?"

Caitlin wanted to argue that it would be two bags within the same day, a rule that Harrison had put down when they started what they had started. She also knew that whatever had just happened caused Harrison to worry enough to ask for a top off to keep his hunger in check. Caitlin was not about to question a decision like that.

"I'll be right back with one, Dr. Wells." Caitlin left and returned within a moment, eyes scanning the hall before closing the door and passing the plastic package to the older man. It was drained within minutes, slower than the night before, no blood leaving marks at the edge of Harrison's mouth.

"Alright, Mrs. Snow, I believe that there is something I need to attend to in one of the mechanics labs." Caitlin said nothing. She simply nodded, a crease of worry in her brow.

Harrison wheeled down the hall, nodding to his fellow scientists as he went, all the while following the presence that drew him near. It brought him towards one of the mechanical labs, one specifically run by Cisco Ramon.

Harrison rounded the door of the lab and entered it almost silently. Cisco's back was to him as well as whoever else was in the lab. Harrison knew automatically that the mystery man was the source of the scent.

" – and that means that I have to find some way to fit a laser onto a _tiny little_ surgical knife – which, you know me, isn’t a big problem –" Harrison gave a small cough to alert the two men to his presence while also cutting Cisco off in what looked like mid-rant. 

Cisco whipped around as did the other man next to him. "Oh, hey, Dr. Wells! I was just explaining the difficulty of attaching a photon laser to a surgical instrument." 

Harrison smiled up at the engineer. "That's very good, Cisco, and how are you finding your lesson...?" Harrison left the end of the phrase open for the other man to introduce himself. It was amusing to see the taller of the two looking nearly star-struck before regaining composure.

"Barry – Barry Allen." The man reached out a hand and Harrison was tentative to shake it. His cold touch was unnerving for some, but he wasn't going to begrudge the brunet something so simple.

"Well then, Mr. Allen, how are you enjoying S.T.A.R. Labs?" Harrison gestured to the guest pass on the lapel of Barry’s cardigan. The smile that lit up Barry's face was completely worth asking the question, in Harrison's opinion.

"It's amazing! You've got a mass spectrometer that runs almost twice as fast as the one at CCPD and your agricultural genetic splicer – it's – it's just so _cool_." Harrison chuckled at the brunet’s phrasing, and the tips of Barry's ears turned a shade of pink.

"CCPD? So you're a cop, then?"

"No, I'm actually the forensic scientist for the criminal cases – well, for _all_ the cases actually." Harrison nodded, impressed (at least, as impressed as a century old vampire could be). There were a lot of things that happened in Central City and Wells couldn't imagine the evidence and mind that Barry Allen needed to have in order to process it all.

"So a man of science."

"As much as I can be – I mean, _this_ ," Barry spread his arms in a large gesture, face smiling as he looked around the room, " _this_ is science. It's science that helps people and the world." 

Harrison smiled again. "I have no doubt that your work helps people, Mr. Allen." Harrison was rewarded with another blinding smile.

"Uh, Dr. Wells," Cisco piped up from where he was leaning against the edge of his lab table. "Barry and I were about to head to lunch, if you wanted to tag along? I've got some questions on the scale design." 

Wells shook his head. "Perhaps another day, Cisco – I've got a meeting with Caitlin and then I've got to oversee one of the biological projects." Cisco nodded and Harrison did he best to keep his gaze from flicking over to Barry. (It didn't work.) The younger man had the smallest hint of disappointment clouding his features.

"It was great to meet you, Dr. Wells," Barry's face was light again, all hints of sadness drained from his expression. Harrison met his smile with the slight upturn of his own lips, pleased.

"And I hope that we'll meet again soon." Harrison turned his chair to exit the room, his ears automatically tuned to listen as he left.

" _Dude_ , were you just flirting with my boss?" Harrison smirked as he rolled away.

“Maybe?"

Once Harrison was completely away from the situation, he let himself breathe again. The scent of Barry was lingering on him, settled like fresh snow on the ground. It was intoxicatingly heavy – almost too much, a dangerous amount.

Harrison was sure that if he hadn't had food before, the urge to feed would be more powerful than it already was, something that was not good, especially considering he was in a building full of staff and friends.

\----------Barry----------

Barry was flying on cloud nine, walking on air and lighter than a feather (all that jazz). Harrison Wells had spoken with him, and (according to Cisco,) had been flirting with him. Barry had never been so happy.

He had thanked Cisco profusely and now, three days later he was walking towards Jitters to have a late night coffee with Iris after a long night at work. As he approached the door, a voice spoke out, making him startle.

"You're out fairly late, Mr. Allen." The tone was warm, cutting through the chill of the late night – and made Barry color in his cheeks as he turned towards Harrison Wells. He looked the same as he did every time Barry closed his eyes. (And imagined his wild brown hair, sky blue eyes – a cool touch and his voice like whiskey.)

"Oh – uh – hi, Dr. Wells – yeah, just...getting coffee," Barry managed to say. 

The man in the chair gave him a small smile. "Please, just Harrison will do. Why so late for coffee?" Barry fidgeted on the spot, easily being distracted by Harrison – it was almost like his whole attention was being pulled to him.

"It's been a long day." 

Harrison nodded. "Well, it was good to see you again Mr. Allen – I must be off." Barry stood there and give an affirmative nod, his face flushing involuntary as he watched the man roll away. Barry turned to face the door of Jitters again and paused. In a moment of utter madness, he turned and faced where Harrison Wells was leaving.

"Wait!" Barry called out to him as he jogged the thirty or so feet that Harrison had managed to go before stopping. By the time he got there, Barry was slightly out of breath. Harrison said nothing as Barry caught his breath. "Would you, um, maybe like to get coffee with me? I mean, in the morning, not right now, because you already – I mean, maybe?"

Harrison said nothing and Barry could feel his face falling. "Uh...I'm sorry, I'll just -"

"Would dinner work better?"

The tips of Barry's ears turned red with excitement and his face broke into a wide grin.

"Yeah, yes – that would, yes." 

Harrison smiled and nodded. "I'll have Cisco give me your number once I've returned to the lab and we can work out the details later tomorrow, yes?"

Barry nodded, his face a beacon of happiness as he walked away, while Harrison waved before turning around.

Barry couldn't wait to tell Iris what had just happened.

\------Harrison------

Harrison would stand and kick himself if he didn't know that a few dozen witnesses could see him.

He liked Barry, _yes_ – liked his smile and his apparent wit, and _God_ , the way he smelled, like a fine scotch that Harrison wanted to drink dry. 

And that was exactly the reason that he shouldn't have asked the other man out to dinner. It was reckless. 

That's what Barry Allen would make him – _reckless_.

And yet, a part of him thrilled at the idea of a date with the younger (much younger) man. It would be something new, a change that Harrison hadn't had in so long. Something that wasn't sitting in his chair all day, getting weaker and weaker until the breaking point where he would drink a bag a blood and start the process over again.

When Harrison made it back to S.T.A.R. Labs, it was almost time for all projects to be shut down for the night. He wheeled himself to Mechanical Lab 52 where he knew Cisco would be overseeing his project.

Harrison knocked on the frame of the door, and Cisco still turned around quickly as though he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't have been. (And maybe Cisco was up to something – he certainly seemed to be the type, though Harrison was too distracted to further his own speculations.)

"Dr. Wells! Progress for the laser is coming along really well, I should –”

Harrison held a hand up to stop the other man from talking. "I'm not here for an update report, Cisco; you can give that to Dr. Snow in the morning. I actually stopped by to get Barry Allen's phone number from you." 

Cisco rose a brow in confusion as he pulled out his phone to search through his contacts before handing it out towards the other man.  "If you don't mind me asking Dr. Wells, why do you need Barry's number?"

Harrison smirked lightly (mostly to himself).

"I asked him on a date."

\-------Barry-------

Barry was freaking out. 

In under thirty minutes, he would be going out to dinner with Harrison Wells, and he was more than certain that he had nothing to wear. He thanked his good fortune that Joe was at the station and couldn't laugh at his panicked shuffling of every shirt he owned. At the precise moment that Barry was going to give up and fall against the large pile of fabric he'd made, the doorbell rang. The brunet panicked and shot his eyes towards the clock on his bedside table. He still had nearly twenty minutes of clothing indecision to work through.

Making his way down the stairs, Barry smoothed a hand through his hair, trying to get it as tame as possible. He took a deep breath when he reached the door and chanced looking through the peephole. Barry drew back, brows furrowed in confusion as he unlocked and opened the door. Iris stepped in with barely a hello.

"How long until the date?"

Barry closed the door behind Iris as she started to make her way upstairs. "Um...hello, Iris – nice to see you, too." 

The brunette turned and gave him a look that expressed how _not_ amused she was. 

Barry sighed. 

"Fine, twenty-ish minutes until I'm supposed to leave to meet him." 

Iris nodded and continued up the steps. "And let me guess, you've got absolutely nothing to wear and are wigging out?" 

Barry sighed and followed his friend. "Pretty much, yeah – how'd you know?" 

Iris walked into Barry's room and shook her head, arms crossed over her chest but an amused smile on her lips. "Barry, _please_ – you've lived with us almost your entire life! I still remember when you went to homecoming for the first time and spent an hour agonizing over _ties_. You're completely hopeless when you're trying to impress someone." Barry rolled his eyes but didn't argue.

"So, are you here to help?"

" _Obviously_." Iris walked around the pile of shirts and pants and made a tutting noise, then something caught her eyes. A smile lit up her face as she snagged a black pair of jeans from the pile and a black cardigan that Barry was sure he'd lost. "Now I just need to find... _ah-ha_!"

Iris reached her hand into the pile again and pulled out a red and white striped shirt. "Now get dressed – wear your black dress shoes and that watch that Dad gave you for your birthday." Barry took the clothing that Iris handed him and headed to the bathroom to change. He wasn't going to question the woman – he hadn't before and didn't think he would start to.

Barry walked from the bathroom, cardigan sleeves pushed up past his elbows and watch clipped on to his wrist. Iris made a twirling motion with her finger and Barry rolled his eyes.

"Really, Iris?" 

She cocked a brow and Barry made an exasperated sound as he held his arms out and twirled.

"Perfect! Now, you're going to want to leave if you want to make it." Barry looked at the clock and his eyes grew wide.

"It's going to take me fifteen minutes to get there by foot. How did I forget?!" The clock read 7:52 – their date as set for 8.

Iris practically pushed him out of his room and to the front door.

"Then run, Barry, _run_."

The brunet did. Halfway to the café, he had to stop and catch his breath, cursing the fact that he'd given up track his freshman year for the forensics club. He checked the watch on his wrist and kicked at the ground in frustration. Five minutes late and counting.

Barry jogged lightly now, passing people as he went and hoping to whoever might be listening that Harrison wouldn't leave or be offended that Barry was late.    

When Barry reached the small cafe that he and Harrison had agreed upon the night before, his eyes scanned the veranda for the chair and wild hair that he was getting used to seeing.

Barry's eyes locked onto a figure in the corner of the room. Harrison lifted his wrist to check his watch and Barry sighed to himself. Of course, he'd be late for a date that was this important. When would he ever get another chance to eat dinner with a guy like Harrison Wells?

Barry made his way to the table, rehearsing his apology as he reached where the other man was sitting. Harrison glanced over his shoulder and smiled at Barry as he approached. _'At least he doesn't seem angry,'_ Barry thought as he reached the table.

"I am so, so, _so_ , sorry that I'm late – I'd say that it never happens, but my track record might not match that." Barry felt a wave of embarrassment as he sat across from the older man.

Harrison laughed softly. "It's quite alright, Mr. Allen – Barry – no harm done. I wasn't waiting long."

"Good," Barry smiled bashfully down at the table, "that's good."

They talked the whole night through. Barry couldn't keep the smile off his face. Their conversations were continuous, lively – and Barry felt light by the time that the evening was growing long and the café closing. 

"I suppose we should call this the end of the night, yes?" Barry's smile softened to something resembling that of shallow disappointment. 

"Yeah, probably – I kinda have work in the morning and I'm sure that you've got plenty of projects to oversee at S.T.A.R. Labs." Barry walked alongside Harrison.

"Perhaps I could escort you home?" 

Barry thought for a moment to say no, that it was fine. He didn't though. He was selfish at that moment – and nodded his head with a happy smile. "I'd like that, yes."

So they left in the direction of Barry's home and twenty minutes later, they were laughing as his house came into sight. Barry felt another small pang of sadness at the idea of the date ending. He realized it was quite silly, though – the date couldn't last forever – that simply wasn't a possibility. They reached his door and Barry knew that the night had well and truly come to an end.

"I had a really great night." 

Harrison smiled at Barry. "As did I."

"Maybe," Barry placed his hands in his pockets, shrugging awkwardly, "we could do it again sometime?" Harrison laughed a light chuckle.

"That sounds like a probability." 

Barry smiled, face lit up and happy. "Well, I guess this is good night," Barry scuffed his shoe against the ground.

They remained there in a heavy silence for a moment, waiting for something – what it was, Barry wasn't quite sure. 

"Um...’night Harrison."

"Goodnight, Barry." Barry turned around and moved to head up the stairs when a hand wrapped around his wrist and pulled him back. Barry turned and caught himself against the arms of Harrison's wheelchair.

Barry colored at the situation. He was leaning, _towering_ , over the other man. Their noses almost touched, breaths mingling together with how close their mouths were. Barry could smell Harrison's aftershave being so close, something spicy that was drawing him in. Barry swallowed past the lump in his throat and brushed his nose against the other man's before leaning in the inch or so between their mouth to catch Harrison's in a kiss.

They were like that for only a few seconds, their mouths in a gentle kiss, feather light, and so tentative Barry was almost afraid to add more pressure. He drew back, breath short and noticed with a thrill how large Harrison's pupils were. Right as he was going to lean down again, press his luck for a harder kiss the porch lights flickered and Barry could feel the heat rising to his cheeks. _Joe_.

Harrison's laugh sounded slightly forced as he rolled back in his chair a bit.

"I suppose that would be my cue to leave, Mr. Allen." 

Barry nodded, still too much in the moment to try and form words.

Barry turned quickly on his heels before he could do or say anything to embarrass himself in front of Harrison. 

He reached for the knob, prepared to face the music.

\-------Harrison-------

After three weeks of seeing Barry every other day, Harrison assumed the craving the younger man caused would lessen as time and exposure to him went. 

He was horribly mistaken. 

He had to have a bag of blood before each date and while that wasn't a particularly bad thing as his strength was slowly returning, it was still something that made him feel ill in the pit of his stomach. It was something that made him remember the last human he'd drank from, remember how they'd tried to drive a silver-tipped stake through his heart.

Harrison placed his hands in his head. He took in a shuddering breath as he laid his head against the lab table – and let his mind wander back to what had transpired with Barry.

_They were at Barry's house, Joe out at the office on a case – which suited Harrison’s and Barry’s needs just fine as they sat on the couch, pressed against each other, shoulder to shoulder, fingers laced together, watching the television screen as the movie rolled towards its inevitable end._

_Partway through, Barry had snuggled closer to Harrison, forehead pressed into the other man's neck, nose nuzzled against his collar bone. Barry had only once made a comment about Harrison's cool touch when they had first held hands. It was quickly forgotten as Barry said he didn't mind. He never realized how much Harrison relished in the heat from Barry's body, how it had been so long since another was held against him and caused him to feel warm._

_At the moment that Harrison was distracted by the film, he felt Barry touched his lips against his neck. Harrison ignored it and kept his eyes on the movie while Barry pressed another kiss just above the last, then another – and another. Harrison hummed, turning his gaze down towards the other man._

_"What exactly are you trying, Mr. Allen?"_

_Barry huffed an amused breath against the scientist’s neck. "What does it look like?" he asked back, prompting the end of the question with a kiss to the underside of Harrison's jaw. Harrison smirked, a playful quirk of the lips._

_"It seems as though you're trying to distract me from the movie." Barry trailed his mouth directly under Harrison's ear to nip at the skin with his teeth. The older man inhaled sharply through his nose as his eyes slipped closed._

_"How am I doing?" The words were whispered into the shell of Harrison's ear, breath tickling the hair on the nape of his neck._

_Harrison turned, eyes snapping open to meet Barry's as he looped a hand around the back of his neck to cradle his head._

_"Terribly well." Harrison used the hand holding Barry's head to pull him into a kiss. They had grown familiar with each other’s mouths, stealing secret kisses in the labs as Harrison worked, or on nights where they went to the movies and the film meant nothing. This, however, felt different, alone in the house where they both knew no one would be home for hours. It felt heavier, more sensual as Harrison pressed into the kiss and pulled Barry further on top of him._

_Barry took the initiative to throw one leg over Harrison's hip and shift his weight so that he was straddling the other man, rather than have them kissing at an awkward angle. Barry sank down on Harrison, a pillow of warmth and soft skin that made him sigh._

_They kissed, mouths moving together with ease as Harrison carded a hand through Barry’s hair and placed his other on Barry's hip where his shirt had_ rucked _up enough so that Harrison was touching skin. Barry shivered against him for a moment before a whining sound passed his lips and he pressed deeper into the closed mouthed kisses. Harrison flicked his tongue out to part the crease of Barry's mouth, permission easily granted as their tongues_ slicked _together._

_They held the kiss for a long time, Harrison getting so caught up in the feeling of Barry's heat against his cool skin, the way his smooth skin felt under his palm, the taste of his mouth and_ God _, the way he smelled, always, like honey and coffee. Harrison had only realized he hadn't been pretending to breath when Barry pulled back, gasping, back arched as he pulled away to huff out hot air. This position gave Harrison the view of Barry's neck, long and smooth, creamy skin disappearing under a deep V-neck. It all made Harrison want to taste._

_Against his better judgment, Harrison leaned up into Barry, nose brushing so lightly against the skin of his neck. Harrison could hear the blood rushing abnormally fast through Barry's veins, feel his pulse against the curve of his mouth, and the scent of honey filled his senses. Harrison could do nothing more but succumb and place a wet kiss against Barry's neck before traveling up an inch and doing it again, this time catching the skin with his mouth and sucking on it gently._

_Harrison could hear the blood pumping faster and_ oh _, the thrill it gave him as he kissed against Barry's neck, stopping every few places to pull at the skin with his mouth and apply suction until he reached right underneath Barry's jaw. He heard the catch of breath against the pants, felt the hands gripping tight at his shoulder and the way that Barry shook with anticipation against him – it was driving Harrison wild._

_Without hesitation, Harrison latched on to that place and lapped at the flesh in his mouth. He could feel the capillaries burst under his mouth, the taste of salt on his tongue, the sound of pure abandon that Barry made as Harrison gripped to his hip tightly and pulled him flush against him._

_Harrison sucked harder, lapped harsher and bit down as Barry squirmed and made sounds so sinfully good as the other man painted his neck with dark bruises. It was as though Harrison was no longer himself, completely engulfed by the honey scent of Barry, the beat of his heart, the allure of his blood, sweet, just under the skin, so close, just a nip, a little taste..._

_"Ah!" A pained noise, a noise that was not meant for pleasure,_ pricked _Harrison's ears and had him pulling away from Barry's neck with a terrified start. The fog in his head was beginning to clear as he pulled his hands away from Barry._

_"I..." Harrison couldn't speak, had no words as he looked at the marks he'd caused on Barry's neck, deep, reddening and angry – the worst of all, lined heavy with (thankfully) blunt teeth marks and turning purple._

_Barry could sense the moderate change from what was once_ total _desire to sudden regret that was flowing from Harrison. Barry had grabbed his hand and pulled it to his chest, a shy smile on his mouth._

_"I don't mind the hickeys, but maybe fewer teeth next time?" Those were the completely wrong things to say as Harrison pulled his arm away, his expression dulled. Barry looked down at the man confused and removed himself from the older man's lap. "Harrison?"_

_"I need to leave." Harrison couldn't meet Barry's eyes, for one – Harrison was ashamed of what he could have done, what he knew he had almost done and also because he knew,_ could feel _, the change was still in his eyes, irises tinged red from their usual blue. Barry reached out again to grab his hand and Harrison pulled away, willing his eyes to become human once more._

_"I'm sorry, was I – was it too much?"_

_Harrison willed himself to look at Barry. In the three weeks that they had been seeing each other, Harrison knew that he was holding back from Barry. They had never truly been intimate – they never had the alone time to do so and now, Barry suspected that it had been too much for Harrison. In one way, he was correct – Barry was too much but not in the way that the younger man was assuming._

_"No, Barry, it's not – I just need to leave now." The completely hurt look in Barry's eyes did little to aid Harrison in leaving Barry’s home._

Now Harrison sat, two days later, head against Cisco's lab table, reviewing the specs and loathing himself for ever thinking he could have something normal, something with Barry that wouldn't end with the other man's blood on his hands or him hating Harrison completely for what he was – what the older man was trying to fix, _to cure_.

"Stupid." Harrison muttered darkly to himself as he turned the photon laser on and set it against the table, its parts exposed to see where Cisco's miscalculation was.

"That's not something I'd ever call you." Harrison startled, looking up.

There was Barry, leaning against the door frame in a black shirt and blue jeans, looking like a nymph on legs. Harrison had been so caught up in himself and his pity party that the other’s approach had gone completely unnoticed.

"Barry." Harrison paused, trying to wipe the traitorously fond expression from his face. "You shouldn't be here," he said, turning back to the table and loosening a wire. The laser sputtered and stopped functioning – he'd cut the internal battery.

"Well, you haven't answered my calls for the last two days and I didn't think you'd let me in if I came to your house." 

_You're probably right._

"That doesn't explain why you're here right now." Harrison needed to put on the act of indifference as he turned to grab a conductor cable for the thing he'd separated.

"Yes, it does. Why have you been avoiding me? Why are you _still_ avoiding me?" Harrison said nothing as he worked, a small spark exploded from the wire of the machine. Harrison was sure it was nothing.

He worked in silence as Barry stepped into the room, moving in front of the workstation. After a few moments, the man could tell that Barry had reached the end of his patience.

" _Look at me!_ " Harrison did – and _God_ , did it hurt. Barry's eyes were bloodshot, face haggard, as though he hadn't slept very well or at all the night before. It sent a twist through Harrison's heart. "I'm sorry, alright? I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry." Harrison watched as Barry's face crumpled under the guilt he'd apparently been feeling. The older man rolled away from the table and came to a stop in front of Barry.

"Don't be sorry, please – it has nothing to do with you, I swear – but Barry, I don't think..." Harrison took a breath. He needed it for what he had to say next. "I don't think I can be with you. There are…things about me that would put you in danger. It isn't right to ask for you to deal with those things." Harrison could barely meet Barry’s eyes.

" _No_." Harrison rose a surprised brow. The look on Barry’s face was determined now, almost daring Harrison to argue. " _No_ , you don't get to decide the risks I take, because if it's you, then I'm willing to take any risk."

"Bar –" 

Barry held a hand up to stop Harrison. " _Don't_ ,” he said indignantly, “these past few weeks have been some of the greatest in my life. You used to be this person I looked up to, a being I couldn't even imagine touching, much less meeting – and then you were there in Cisco's lab and you were talking to me and it was amazing. _You're amazing_ , so _please_ don't think that I'm going to run at the idea of a little danger when that means running away from _you_."

Harrison felt that familiar warmth growing his chest, the kind the only Barry could produce in him. A selfish part of Harrison wanted to pull the other man close and hold him. He couldn't, though – what he'd almost done, what he _could_ have done to Barry…no, Harrison didn't want to do that again.

"No, Barry, the risk to yourself is far too great to justify being with me and putting your life in the middle of it." Harrison didn't want to see the hurt look on Barry's face, but he needed to understand what the other man was thinking. He looked up and was almost shocked to be met with bright eyes, lit with fire and determination he'd never quite seen the likes of.

"Explain it to me! Whatever it is, explain the danger, and then let me decide for myself." Harrison felt sick to his stomach at the choice he was going to have to make – tell Barry, show him the monster that he actually was, or never see the man again.

"Leave. _Now_. I don't wish to see you again, Barry," Harrison's voice sounded hollow, lifeless to his own ears as he turned in the chair to go back to work on the laser. Barry was silent, but Harrison could hear his breathing, the sound of catching breath. He was trying to hold back tears, Harrison could tell.

"Harr –" 

There was a hand on his shoulder and then the sound of sharp popping before total calamity broke out. An explosion ripped through the lab from the table that Harrison had been working at. In that instance, Harrison tapped into the remaining strength he knew he had from the blood he'd consumed that morning and bolted at inhuman speeds to move Barry and block him from the brunt of the explosion.

\------Barry-------

They were both knocked against the other side of the lab, Harrison's body covering Barry's from the flame and metal that shot towards them. The explosion had only taken a moment, but the aftermath felt like hours. The lab was filled with fire, the door closed off by flames and debris and there was Barry, coughing only a foot or so away, eyes fixed on Harrison.

"How –" Barry cut himself short as he took in the sight of the other man, laying against his side, propped up weakly by his elbow, coughing up blood and in the middle of his chest, just off to the right, a jagged piece of metal was protruding from his body. "Oh god, _Harrison_." Barry coughed as he scrambled shakily on hands and knees to the other man.

"No – don’t come any closer." Harrison's words were choked off, his face was turned away from Barry and the younger man could see the scientist’s body struggling to stay in what little of an upright position he was in.

Barry didn't listen, of course – he wouldn't. Harrison was likely to die in the next five minutes because of the object that (as Barry could now see) was passing completely through his chest from his back.

Barry grabbed Harrison by his shoulders and pulled him close, tears threatening to fall from his eyes as he watched the man wretch in pain. Harrison was squeezing his eyes closed, jaw clenched tights as he tried to struggle away from Barry.

"Stop, you'll make it worse, why –" Harrison's eyes snapped open to focus on Barry. Barry's breath left in what felt like one swoop, the blue was gone from the older man's eyes, swallowed up by a red that was so dark Barry wasn't sure he would simply call it red. Barry hadn't realized his grip had grown tight until Harrison was gasping out in pain and Barry's eyes were drawn to the man's teeth, canines extended and sharp. Barry didn't pull away from the other man. He wasn't sure if that was because he was too shocked or still furiously worried about the fact that the man, the vampire (apparently) in his arms had been impaled and was bleeding out in his arms.

"I never," Harrison let out a wet cough and blood trickled out of the side of his mouth, "I never wanted you to find out this way, or at all." Things were starting to click in place for Barry as he stared, the reason that the majority of their dates were at night, why whenever they were together in the morning, in the sunlight, Harrison seemed lethargic, why he never seemed to eat or drink much, why he'd been holding back. While Barry had speculated a thousand reasons on how Harrison would act how he had, admittedly his boyfriend being a vampire hadn't even been on the list.

"You're dying, _God_ , you're – what can I – _how_ do I..." Barry was sputtering, trying to form words as Harrison's blood slipped through his fingers and soaked into his clothes.

"You need to take the piece of metal from my chest – pull it out." Barry swallowed thickly and nodded. He placed his hands on the piece of shrapnel, his palms slipped as they were slick with blood – they shook as he did the best to wipe his hands off on his pants and gripped the object again. He pulled and _oh_ , the sound it made when it slipped from Harrison's chest – the sound Harrison made – Barry was sure that if he wasn't stronger, he would be sobbing.

Barry waited for a moment as blood was still pooling from Harrison's body. He'd expected the wound to heal quickly like he always saw in movies, but the only thing that seemed to be happening was that Harrison was becoming paler and the pool of blood was getting bigger.

"Why aren't you healing? Should you be healing?" Harrison looked up at Barry with sad, red eyes, his hand reaching up to cup Barry's cheek, streaking his own blood onto the younger man's face by accident.

"That's a possibility, Barry – I haven't consumed enough blood in the last few years to walk for more than twenty minutes at a time, let alone heal a gaping wound in my chest." Harrison's voice was getting softer, hissing around the fangs in his mouth as his head started to lull back. Barry cradled Harrison closer to his chest and shook him lightly.

"No, _no_ , I need you to stay awake so we can get you help – I can't, _please_ don't let me lose you." 

Harrison chuckled sadly in the brunet’s arms. "I'm sorry, Barry," Harrison was blinking slowly, eyes fluttering and snapping every few seconds – and Barry was sure that he was trying to stay awake through the pain as much as he could for Barry's sake.

"You said you need blood – take mine," Barry wasted no hesitation to pull the man closer drag his head up to where it leaned against his collar bone, the hickey Harrison had given him still dark and noticeable.

"Don't –"

"I won't become a vampire, will I?"

"No, but Barry –"

"Then _do_ _it_ – I'm not going to sit here and lose you. I don't care if it hurts, losing you would hurt more."

"I might not be able to stop." Barry could barely hear the words as Harrison whispered them.

"I trust you." 

Harrison didn't say anything else, just placed a hand on the opposite side of Barry's neck and pressed his mouth up to the bruise right under Barry's jaw before pressing another weak kiss below that and another below that until he neared the middle of Barry’s neck.

Barry let out a shuddering breath as Harrison dragged himself closer into Barry's arms and pressed his mouth harder against the spot where Barry was sure his fangs would be a second later, he braced himself, eyes closing and body tensing without him meaning to.

" _Forgive me_ ," Harrison whispered against his neck before drawing his head back and sinking his fangs into Barry's throat.

Barry's breath was punched from his body but not by pain. There honestly wasn't much of it – it was by the sensation alone. Suddenly, he wasn't just Barry – he was more, like his whole being was expanding beyond just him, like he was feeling everything in that first moment until he was drawn sharply back the crisp fire burning from his neck and spreading around his body. It was like his entire being was tingling, _vibrating_. Barry's eyes rolled back and he was sure a groan had escaped his lips. Harrison continued on, the grip on Barry's neck tightening as Harrison drank deeper, fangs sinking further.

Barry could hear his own panting breaths as Harrison drew him in further. It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before in his life. It wasn't just ecstasy – it was more than pleasure and a tinge of pain. It was something Barry was sure he'd never be able to describe again.

Soon Barry started to get the sensation of being heavy like his limbs were being weighed down – and a fuzz was starting to form just behind his eye lids.

"Harrison..." He whispered, voice soft and weak. Barry was sure that he couldn't have spoken louder if he'd tried.

Suddenly Harrison was pulling back, gasping for breath Barry was sure he didn't need and then there was the pain, a dull throbbing in his neck. If he wasn't already slipping into unconsciousness, Barry was sure it would sting much more. The last thing he saw before his eyes slipped closed was Harrison peering at him, worry and guilt lacing icy blue eyes.

\-------Harrison-------

He'd been lucky that Caitlin had been the first to get to them and rush them out. He was lucky no one had questioned the blood, only how the explosion had happened in the first place. It, of course, had been Harrison's own fault. Thankfully, the explosion had been contained to just Cisco's lab, something everyone was thankful for except perhaps Cisco.

Caitlin had allowed Harrison to move Barry into her medical area which was void of patients and only high-level staff members had access to. He'd placed Barry on the medical bed as Caitlin walked in.

"Dr. Wells, your chair..." Harrison shook his head.

"My blood is all over the lab. They will have expected something to happen – tell the press that I suffered damages and you were able to fix me and my previous injury through medical luck." Caitlin nodded. She didn't know what had happened – she could guess all too easily, though.

"I'm sure that should go over well with all of the press the explosion is bound to earn. At least this means two or three weeks of not having to be under the lime-light, right?" Harrison could tell that her tone was meant to lighten the mood. Harrison looked over Barry's body, clothes singed and matted with blood, his skin was dusted with soot.

"I'd like to be here when Mr. Allen wakes up. Would you please grab a bag of O-Negative from the cooler and set up a transfusion for him?" Now Caitlin wouldn't need to guess. It had been more than obvious beforehand.

"Of course, Dr. Wells."

Once the bag was attached to an IV and then attached to Barry, Harrison dragged a chair to set beside the bed and sat. He waited there as the sun dipped behind the horizon and the clocks wound closer and closer to midnight.

Caitlin had done her job of keeping people away from the wing, which unfortunately also meant Cisco, who was growing persistent. Eventually, Harrison would have to confine himself to a bed and act in pain in order to keep up the story that the doctor had fabricated.

At fifteen to midnight, Barry stirred in the bed and opened his eyes, the bag of blood hanging from the wall was nearly finished and Harrison had been about to set up a second pack after having checked the younger man's blood pressure.

"Harrison?" Barry groggily reached a hand out to grab the other man. Harrison hesitated before taking Barry's warm palm into his own cool one.

"I'm right here, Barry."

"My neck hurts." It was said with a light tone, the words slurred together. While Barry smiled sleepily, Harrison gave a weak chuckle. 

"You okay?" Barry's eyes snapped to the place where Harrison had only hours before had a metal chunk sticking from his body.

"Yes, Barry, it's completely healed, thanks to you." 

Barry's smile grew. "I'm glad. I wanted to help." 

Harrison felt the guilt that had been gnawing at him dim a little. “Even..." Harrison took a breath, "even after discovering my secret, after knowing that I'd lied to you? Even then?" 

Barry's eyes lifted to Harrison with a focus that he hadn't had a moment before. "Come closer." 

Harrison lifted a brow. "Why?"

"Because I can't move and was going to take the time to figure out whether I wanted to slap you or kiss you." 

Harrison let another chuckle pass, this one was softer. "How does all this," he used the hand not holding Barry's to gesture to his mouth, fangs out, and eyes, flashing red, "not seem to phase you?"

Barry turned his head to face the ceiling as he thought of a response.

"At first, I was completely shocked. Add in the fact that you were dying and I didn't really have any control. And then I processed all the little things over the past few weeks I didn't have any answers for and it made sense, you being a vampire – it was weirdly settling, to know the answer as to why. But you were still dying and you said what you did and I knew I could help," Barry squeezed Harrison's hand. "I wasn't going to let you go, not without a fight. And I won't now either, so don't even think about informing of the dangers again."

Harrison smiled, and he laughed. It started out quiet, but it grew into something completely full of relief and giddy. Barry looked over at the other man with confusion. Still gripping Barry's hand, Harrison stood and leaned over the other man for a moment before capturing his lips in a tender kiss. He pulled back and huffed out a happy sigh, forehead touched against Barry's.

"I'm confused, but I think you're happy, so that's...good?" 

Harrison nodded, swallowing back the emotional lump that had formed in his throat. "Yes, Barry, that's good." Harrison sat back down and with his free hand scrubbed it across his face. "The last relationship I had of our caliber…once she found out my true nature, she proclaimed me a monster and tried to drive a stake through my heart. So yes, you deciding that this – all of this – is alright – is good." Barry nodded.

"I promise to not come at you with a stake, but we _are_ going to have to talk more about the vampire thing. I've got questions and –" Barry was cut off by a yawn that caught him off guard.

"Those will have to wait for the morning. I took more than I should have – you need your rest." Barry only sighed petulantly before sinking more firmly back into the bed. The room was silent for a few minutes and Harrison slipped his own eyes closed in order to get even a little sleep.

"Can I just ask one?" 

Harrison rolled his eyes, face split with a grin. "Yes Barry, you may." 

Barry took a moment to pick his question before his face colored a faint pink. "What," Barry cleared his throat, "what did I taste like?"

Harrison thought back to the moments when his mouth was taking in Barry blood. He smiled and turned Barry's wrist towards his mouth to place a kiss on the pulse.

"Like honey. You tasted like honey."

_Delicious._


	7. Authors Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note

I'm sorry to have to do this to you all but there will not be the final Barrison AU fic. 

It's regrettable for me to say but I've fallen out of this ship and had to dock it to my port for a while. It won't be sailing for the time being and I'm sorry about it.

I won't delete what I've written of the fic but I don't suspect it will be up for some time if anyone is still waiting for it.

I'm taking a couple of requests on my tumblr so you can always send me ideas you have to strike my barrison mood but, for now, I'm calling this work finished.

Alex


End file.
